The Last of Us III
by Drexbann15
Summary: *Sequel to Last of Us II* Joel, Ellie, and Rylan are given a chance to help save the world from the fungal Cordyceps. To end it all, they must travel West in search for the answer. But their pasts may be back to haunt them, and the fact someone from their past may be following them as well. But after Tommy's death, they're all willing to try and make a difference.
1. The Last Arc

**THE  
LAST  
OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- To complete it as a trilogy, I welcome you all to this story. Please sit back, relax, get a snack if you want. We'll do a little recap from the Last of Us II epilogue to refresh your memory. Enjoy :)**

* * *

**Play the Last of Us All Gone (Seasons).**

_Three Months Later..._

The fallout from Tommy death's spread like wildfire. Jackson was in disarray without its founding leader. Maria was distraught behind all recognition and Ellie was with her nearly 24/7 to help take care of Sarah. Rylan stopped talking to Ellie, and he became reclusive into his work to help rebuild Jackson. Also, a newly appointed counsel rose to oversee the settlement's affairs and efforts.

Joel was holed up his house, only coming out when he needed to or when he came to the town cemetery to visit his little brother's grave which was decorated with numerous flowers and such.

In the simplest of terms, their family was fragmented. Rylan and Joel stood on their own while Ellie, Maria, and Sarah took care of each other. It was all just... very sad. Until now...

It was a bright and sunny day on the streets of Jackson, and Ellie was taking a walk with Sarah down the street when she spotted a depressed Rylan sitting against a tree trunk. "Hey Sarah, you remember Rylan, right?"

The three-year-old nodded. "Yep, he's nice."

"Let's go see him." Ellie decided as the two girls walked over to him to which he noticed as soon as they arrived. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to nap." He quipped, not bothering to give her eye contact and just staring at the grass between his legs.

"Why are you tired?" Sarah asked as the little blonde approached him.

"I'm tired... of being tired." Rylan responded, confusing the little one. "Ellie," He finally looked up at her. "I'm such a screw-up... when the chips are down, I always come up short with everyone."

"Yeah, probably." Ellie crossed her arms all sass like. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Everything I did... back when Commander Devlin was chasing us, I did for you... and now."

"What?"

Rylan got back up on his feet and stared her down with a knowing smirk. "I want to do that again."

"That's what I thought." Ellie smirked as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

"Ewww!" Sarah was grossed out and that made the couple laugh.

"Let's go find Joel." Ellie declared as she picked up Sarah in her arms and they jogged to his house.

Soon, the three of them came to his front door and let themselves in. The interior was surprisingly well lit and the window curtains were all open. Joel never liked them open... it was then that they made themselves to the kitchen and they could hear laughter from two very familiar voices.

"He told me that story a hundred times..."

"You never heard it from my perspective."

"He was such a good man..."

"Yeah."

Now that was a weird sight, Maria and Joel were sitting at the table drinking coffee (a delicacy nowadays) just talking, albeit it was about the one thing they had in common and that was Tommy. It looked like they were helping each other deal with the grief. "Guys?"

"Mommy!" Sarah ran to her mother and grasped her leg with both arms.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Maria chuckled.

"We could ask you the same question..." Ellie's smile was directed at Joel to whom she got a stoic expression.

"We were just talking, that's all." The old man responded as he got up from the table. "Maria, think it's about dinnertime anyway. Anyone hungry?"

"Joel, let's just all eat here." She then turned to her daughter. "That sound alright honey? Dinner at Uncle Joel's house?"

"Yeah!" She replied excitedly as she brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Let's get cooking then." Ellie smiled at the reunion before her, and everyone got to work for their meal.

Joel suggested to do burgers on the grill outside, but then he remembered that he had no charcoal so that was out of the question. "Let's make pasgetti!" Little Sarah voted with glee.

"Oh yeah, I nice hot plate of pasgetti sounds really yummy right now." Rylan teased the girl's mispronunciation as Maria opened a cupboard and pulled out a box of pasta noodles. "That's enough for me, anyone else want some?" The brunette joked to the others.

They all chuckled at that and Joel got a big metal pot out to fill with boiling water. "Better make that two pounds Maria. They both look hungry for it."

"Starvin' actually." Rylan chirped as he knelt down to Sarah's level. "Hey Sarah, you ever heard of the tornado?"

"Huh?" Sarah cutely tilted her head at that. "What you mean?"

"It's when you take your fork and spin it in the spaghetti to pick it up and eat it." Rylan taught her. "I call it a tornado, I'll show you."

"Okay!" Sarah was definitely excited to learn something new as she ran to her mommy's side and tugged her shirt. "Mom, can I set the table?"

"Sure honey, get the paper ones right in there." Maria nodded towards a cabinet next to the sink where paper plates resided. Those would work fine, and that would make dishes nonexistent after dinner which was welcomed. "Hey Joel, where's Ellie?"

"Huh?" Joel looked around and so did Rylan when they all realized that the redhead had left the kitchen. "Must be in the bathroom," He quickly deduced. "hey boy, go on and check on Ellie."

"Yes sir..." Rylan sighed, still not appreciating that 'boy' label. Hell he was 19, more than old enough to grow outta that. Nevertheless, Rylan walked off in serach off Ellie, the first stop was the bathroom down the hall. That door was closed, so he assumed she was in there. So he knocked, and he called out to her. "Ellie, you in there?"

_*retch* *Retch!*_

"Ellie, you okay? You sick?" Rylan knocked on the door again to get her attention. It definitely sounded like she was throwing up. "Hey, Ellie!" He tried to go inside only to find that she locked the door.

"I'll... I'll be right out." He heard her from inside. "Just a minute..."

"Alright, if you say so. ...Umm, if you're not feeling up to it I can tell everyone else-!"

"No, no! It's fine babe." Ellie quickly responded as she suddenly opened the bathroom door and came out. "I'm okay. Let's eat."

"Okay... you probably made some room after that." He gave her an up and down, scanning her with his one eye. "Ellie, what have I told you about being weird?" He joked.

Ellie scoffed. "You're the weird one. Seriously? 'tornado'?" She smiled at him.

"Just wanted to pasta time with Sarah."

"Oh my god..." Ellie groaned at the forced pun. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me?" He gave her a sneaky kiss on her freckled cheek and took her hand. "You're sure you're okay?" He got a quick nod from her and then she led them both back to the kitchen. "Found her."

Joel set the pot of water now filled up to the appropriate amount on the stove, waiting for it to come to a boil. "Thought you fell in, baby girl." Joel grinned as he wiped his hands on the sides of his shirt.

"Nah, I'm fine Joel." Ellie replied when she looked out the window and realized it was still a beautiful evening. "Hey, you remember that game we talked about a while ago? Football right? You guys wanna play?"

"Now that's something I haven't heard in a while." Maria chimed in. "I miss those Sundays..."

Rylan looked at Ellie raising his eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know. It's a nice day out and we got some time before-!"

_*THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP*_

It loud banging was coming from the front door of the house. It sounded frantic as it went on, awaiting for an answer. "Who the hell could that be?" Joel wondered as he pushed past everyone else. He made his way down the hall and towards the door.

Maria took an educated guess. "Maybe it's Harvey again? But I don't really know what'd he want at this hour."

Rylan and Ellie peered down the hall to see Joel opening the door, only to reveal that of all people to expect there it was none other than Bill. "Finally! Thought I might had to break the door down."

"Bill? What are ya doin' here?" Joel quickly inquired as he let the large man in and closed the door behind him. "It's been at least a year since we seen ya."

"Yeah, sounds about right..." Bill panted as he tried to catch his breathe. "Mind if I sat down? I'm a little winded..."

"Uh yeah, here take the couch." Joel lead him to their adjacent living room, and Bill plopped himself on the couch and took in some deep breathes. "You okay? You look like you ran here."

"That's 'cause I did Joel. Parked my train as close as I could here. Then I booked it to Jackson... sorry if this is short notice."

"What are ya talkin' about? Bill?" Joel sat himself by the nearby armchair as he awaited for his friend's response.

"...I need a favor." Of course he needed a favor.

Joel scoffed at this. "Sure you do... Y'know we were just about to eat dinner. You want some?"

"Appreciate it, but I can't stay too long. Gotta get back to the others and check on the train, it's important and I gotta get it ready."

"Ready for what?"

"A run. Biggest supply move I've ever done. And I need people that I know and trust to help me with this. Joel please, after this one, me and you will be set for life. This is my last go." Bill revealed. "And I'm askin' ya this one last time."

...Joel thought hard on these words. Bill was a friend, ever since the whole Devlin incident he had become one of their best friends and allies. But thinking farther back when he did business deals with him from Lincoln and smuggling them into Boston. It didn't always go as planned, he needed more information to make this decision. "What's the job?"

Bill's expression lightened up a bit as Rylan and Ellie decided to make themselves known and enter their conversation. "Yeah, what's the job?" Rylan mirrored.

Bill spared a glance towards the two kids and then back at Joel to begin explaining. "My train is filled to the brim with supplies. Medical kits, machines, everything you'd expect on the shopping list of a doctor."

"Doctor?" Ellie questioned.

"Dr. Kato Kojima, hope I'm sayin' that right. He's a fella at the end of the train line who says he can do the unthinkable." Bill then glanced at Rylan and Ellie. "...He says he can find a cure without someone who's immune. He just needs what I have on my train, and we're gonna get it to him."

"What...? You mean..." Rylan's voice trailed off as he looked at Ellie. "How is that possible?"

"You sure about this?" Joel piped up. "How do ya know this is real? Because I've heard this story before and it didn't exactly pan out."

"I seen it with my own eyes Joel." Bill assured him with a serious tone. "Tojo actually cleared up a Clicker's head, reverted it to a Stalker. He's close Joel, he's real close... we just got to help him out with the final push."

"This sounds too good to be true." Ellie shook her head. "Where does the train line end Bill?"

"Ever heard of a city called San Francisco? Actually got a look at the small army he had guarding him at a little place called Alcatraz. You know it?"

"Jesus Christ..." Joel rubbed his eyes. "Course it's on an island prison... this is, all happening too fast."

"Yeah well, it's pretty damn defendable. Now I got some people with me. But I'd feel a lot better if I had you guys come with me, get it? We'd cut across Utah then Nevada and then it's a straight shot to the Bay. Guys... we can do this. I promise ya, this Tojo is legit."

"I want to go." Rylan declared. "It's worth a shot."

"What? No, you don't have to." Ellie retorted.

"But I want to. And you should come too." Rylan expressed his desire. "Maybe this doctor could take some of our blood or something to help him out. Anything to progress his research. And did you hear what he said? All we got to do is guard a train."

"That's probably easier said than done. Are we gonna have to move the stuff across the water to the prison?" Joel asked as he thought long and hard over his position.

"He's got some men that'll wait for us on the coast. But yeah, we have to meet the doctor in person to get the payment. But you'll want to see what he's done so far. Makes the Fireflies look like a bunch of cavemen."

"You sure about this?" The bearded old man sighed. "What do we get outta all this?"

"I'm damn sure it'll work, because when it does... you and me will be first in line for the vaccine, how does that sound? Plus guns and food to carry back for Jackson." Bill persuaded.

"Well... alright then." Joel and Bill stood up as he offered him his hand to which he clasped it and firmly shook. "Looks like we got a train to move tomorrow." Joel felt like he had to get out of Jackson anyway, at least for a little while.

"You want us to go with you too?" Ellie questioned her guardian, usually he would be so overprotective that he wouldn't allow such a journey for her.

"You can both come if both want, besides I'd like the company." Joel smirked, the four of them ready for another adventure. "You'd probably just sneak on anyway..."

"Uncle Joel!" Sarah yelped as she whipped around from the kitchen and jumped in his arms, to which he caught her. "Mommy says dinner's ready."

"So you hungry baby girl?" Joel comforted as they dismissed their conversation so as to begin their meal.

Far away through a set of black binoculars, a man who wore a long-sleeved beige shirt and a black denim jacket with the sleeves cut off at the shoulders. He also adorned black gloves and a satchel that lay on his right side, in addition to pin-striped pants that are worn over his black boots. His green eyes locked on through the window of the house, and he adjusted his black cap and red bandanna on his neck to cover his face. He locked onto the group...

_"I've finally found you..." His yellow Firefly sash reflected the setting sun's rays..._

* * *

**A/N- And the scene is set for the Last of Us III. Do you think Bill's claims are true? Will our heroes be able to get the job done and possibly save humanity? And who could be this mysterious character be spying on our group? Follow along with this story, review your guesses, and I'll see you next time. :)**


	2. Secrets

**THE  
LAST  
OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- It's good to see you guys too. I'm glad you've all returned for the squeal. And I will do my best to make this story come full circle and then to a close. Thank you. :) **

* * *

**Chapter 2: Secrets**

Before their delightful meal with the people they cared about, Bill took his leave and said he'd be back in the morning to pick them up and be ready. Everyone filed into the kitchen to take a seat around the crowded table as Maria put down a huge pot of cooked noodles in the middle. "Sounds like Bill needs a hand." Maria muttered as she got a spoonful for Sarah.

"He's going to get three... I mean six, I guess." Rylan corrected her in the literal tense. "We might be gone for a while, right Joel?"

The bearded man looked up at the boy and nodded. "Might be a while before we get back. Maybe a month, depends how smoothly this'll all turn out. Bill ain't exactly the kind of guy to uh... well."

Ellie piped up as she helped herself. "We all kind of owe him though, you know? Got us out of the University in one piece."

"But then you said he crashed." Maria reminded them. "And then it was Tommy who got the men together and saved you."

"Well, Tommy's not here right now..." Rylan muttered to which Joel hissed.

"You shut your mouth boy." Joel snarled. "Where do you get off?"

"I'm looking at the facts. Okay? I'm sorry, but I believe Bill. And I think we can do this, that's why we're going?"

Joel's scowl faded as he instead stared down at the food in front of him. "Ellie whaddya think?"

"Well guys, I've never been to San Francisco before." Trying to quell any of the tension with a little joke. "Love to get a postcard or maybe a souvenir."

"Knock it off. we're being serious." Rylan rebuffed, wanting her to just skip this time for a joke.

"Jesus, I'm just trying to lighten the fucking mood..." Ellie grumbled while folding her arms.

"Everyone just shut the hell up." Maria squashed the short argument as she meanly took all of their plates and gave them each an extra helping. "Now we're going to sit down, have a nice quiet dinner, and dammit we are going to enjoy each other's company. This might be the last time we can do this for a while, and I'm not going to put up with any of this!"

Silence... until Joel broke it. "She's right, let's just eat and we'll get our bellies full and-?" He then stopped himself. "What the hell are ya doing boy?"

Everyone looked over at Rylan as he was obviously putting on a show for an intrigued Sarah, who was sitting right next to him. He had been spinning his fork over and over again until he had a huge ball of spaghetti on his fork. He looked up innocently. "...I'm just showing her the tornado."

"I got it." Sarah smiled as she held up her fork as well.

"Hey look Sarah, mine's bigger." Ellie teased as she got all of her spaghetti that was on her plate on her fork.

"Betcha you can't eat that in one bite." Rylan challenged as he had a normal-sized mouthful of noodles. "Joel, Maria, you two gonna eat?"

The two grownups looked at each other and grinned. They really did have to enjoy this moment, the kids got the message so they should as well. And they finally commenced their feast. The sun was already setting beneath the mountains... a nice night for Jackson.

* * *

The man who was watching, no, spying through their window put his binoculars away and began to pack up from the ledge he was laying on. By the time he got his backpack ready, he heard a rustling in the bushes. He instinctively pulled out his gun, thinking Infected, however he was reminded internally that he was within the walled-in community of Jackson. Had to be a person, so the only person who knew he was here was...

"Goddamn thorn bushes..." Bill groaned as he pulled away and approached the man. "Oh hey, thanks for the fuckin' help by the way. Real good job sitting your ass on that rock. Bravo, Abe."

Abe whined, by the sound of his voice he was in his late fifties. "But Bill, I told you earlier I had a belly ache. Why would you want to move me through that agony? So fuckin' inconsiderate..."

"What the fuck you wearing, covering your face and shit? You trying to hide something? Be all secret spy on me?"

"Naw... you're face just kills me so much I had to protect myself." Abe insulted as he adjusted his bandanna to keep it around his face. "Don't take it personally, I've seen plenty more ugly motherfuckers than ya Bill..."

"Yeah, asshole... you sure you don't wanna wear the gas mask instead? No one will see the black eye you might get..." Bill growled as he walked up to him and took his backpack. "I'm searching this on the way back to the train."

"Oh thank ya Bill, you're such a gentleman." Abe looked back towards Joel's house one more time before taking a flask out of his pocket and taking a swig of what Bill presumed to be alcohol.

"What're you drinking?" The large man wondered if he would offer some. "We could use that to light a fire."

"Piss. Bear piss. I just take his junk, put it up to the opening, and get as much as I can." Abe grossly told him off in a sarcastic tone. "Not as bad as you think, had worse..."

"You know what? I'd believe that." Bill growled. "And if you weren't so good at shooting a gun, I'd push you off this rock right now."

He then turned his attention back to him. "Aww, but I thought we were just getting along. Come on Big Bill, ya know you need me. I mean... who else is gonna get us past them bandits? Certainly, not you. So, must I remind you what will happen if you decide to follow through on your hollow threat? Gilroy will kill all of you..."

"Whatever man, let's just get back and get ready for them." Bill sighed as he began walking the other way.

Abe arched his eyebrows. "You got all three of them to come?" Bill didn't reply but he did give a curt nod. "I knew you were good for something Bill, mighty fine work..."

"Just move your ass!" He barked.

"Yes sir mister leader sir!" Abe mocked saluted as he marched after him, and the two of them headed back to await their long journey.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm stuffed..." Rylan patted his belly and quickly Sarah mirrored him. "You full, Sarah?"

"Yup." She stated as she hopped off the table and ran into the living room.

"Sarah, you didn't clean up!" Maria barked, but Sarah ignored her. However, Rylan offered to clean up which he relatively did in a breeze. "Thanks Rylan."

"She's three, she has plenty of time to learn to clean up." Rylan shrugged it off.

"That was real tasty Maria," He then turned his attention to the other two. "so I think we ought to get our bags ready for tomorrow 'cause Bill said we're leaving at first light." Joel excused himself as he patted Ellie's head who only remained silent. "You sure you can deal with Harvey while we're gone?"

"Yeah, I got it. Think he'll understand, and even if he doesn't, you'll already be gone." Maria affirmed as she left the kitchen. "I'll let you guys get ready."

"Will we see you two in the morning?" Ellie asked as she got up from her chair as well.

Maria scratched the back of her head. "First light's awful early... but you know what? Just to be sure, hey Sarah!"

"Yeah mom?" The little girl beckoned her mother's call. Her mom crouched down to her level to address her eye to eye. "What's wrong?"

"Uncle Joel, Ellie, and Rylan are going on a little trip, okay? And they might not be back for a little while." She smiled while she gave her a whisper. "I want you to give them hugs. Go."

Sarah didn't need to be told twice as she bolted from where she told and quickly wrapped her little arms around Joel legs. "That's not good enough baby girl." He chuckled as he picked her up in his burly arms. "You gotta give me a better hug than that." Sarah laughed as she obliged and instead wrapped around his neck and shoulders and squeezed, using all of her strength. "Now that's more like it, think you're gettin' too strong for me."

"Mind if I steal her away from you?" Ellie smirked as she held out her arms to which Joel gently passed his niece to her. "Now it's my turn. Big hug, just like Joel." Sarah repeated her actions with Ellie and they warmly embraced each other for a moment.

"Where's my hug?" Rylan awaited with open arms.

But to everyone's surprise, Sarah gave the young man a pout-like look and she held up her hand instead. A high-five, that was all Rylan was going to get huh? "Okay, fair enough..." He clapped her hand and Ellie put her back down to which she found retreat behind her mother, shyness beginning to take over.

Maria then gave them her share of hugs and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Just, come back safe. All of you." The whole thing for them was hard since Tommy died. But these three people were there, and they all tried to save him, and that counted for something. They found his body after that storm, same as where they lost him, and the doctor confirmed that there was nothing they could have done without a hydraulic jack of some sort. The flood had swallowed him too fast... "I mean that. We want you back here soon."

"We will. Ain't got nothing to worry about." Joel declared to her.

And without further ado, the mother and daughter departed from their house after a final farewell. The three of them were all that remained right now, but Rylan had to leave soon too, because most of his supplies were back at his place. "I should go and get my stuff, and I can meet you guys back here before sunrise if I have to."

"Sounds like a plan." Joel nodded, and he quickly noticed that the couple would need some alone time. "When you're done Ellie, I need to talk to ya upstairs, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute Joel." Ellie confirmed as she led Rylan back to the living room while Joel thundered up the stairs to his room. He and herself sat themselves down on the couch, and Ellie made sure the bearded man was out of earshot before she let out a long exasperated sigh. "Okay... _*pbbt* _... I think I need to tell you something..."

"What's up? What is it?" Rylan raised his eyebrow as he went to hold Ellie's hand with his own. "Something wrong...? You still sick?"

"Uh... I don't know." Ellie shrugged as she tried to find the right way to approach him. "I talked to a doctor the other day and... well..."

Rylan was still clueless as to where she was getting to. "You uh... what? Am I going to have to go to the doctor too?" And then something clicked in Ellie's head. If she told Rylan or Joel about her 'condition' there would be no way either of them would let her go with them. But she absolutely has to go with them, she couldn't just sit here and wait for them to get back. And you know she would definitely be showing by the time they got back anyway, and she was pretty sure she could keep it a secret until then. That's when she realized that she was staring into Rylan's single curious eye without giving him an answer... He chuckled. "Haha, what are you pregnant or something?"

She hid her reaction as well as she could as her toes clenched within her shoes. "Yeah, that'd be a good one." She laughed it off, but she needed a good excuse. "It's just these pills I've been taking for a bug I had earlier, they really fuck me up sometimes. Sorry babe."

That's all? "Oh, don't worry about that." He kissed her on the cheek, and he gave her a hug. "You'll be okay. You've been through worse."

Ellie scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Yeah well... don't really know about that." God what was she getting herself into?

"I'll be back in the morning, I'll go okay? Don't want Joel getting suspicious." He released her from their embrace and then he got up and made his way to the front door. "Love you Ellie..."

"Love you too..." Ellie called back as he exited the house. But then she immediately curled up into a ball and fell sideways onto the couch cushions. Her voice was muffled as she talked into her jeans. _"...and I'm pregnant."_

* * *

**A/N- Aaanndd we know why Ellie got so sick before dinner. How mad do you think Joel is going to get? What will be Rylan's reaction when he finds out? How will this affect their trip? And who is this interesting rude Abe character we got watching the group with Bill? Find out what happens next, so please review, fav, and follow. Thanks guys :)**_  
_


	3. Departure

**THE  
LAST  
OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- The story will pick up, I promise. A lot of the Last of Us characters are dead, so OC's will be added for purpose of plot. Thank you for understanding if you keep with this.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Departure**

Ellie was still curled up into her ball lying on the couch cushions. Her voice was muffled as she repeated the truth into her jeans. _"I'm pregnant... and I don't know what to do... what do I do?"_

Ellie was scared, as scared as any girl would be if this happened to them. She didn't know who to confide in, she didn't know if she could even tell Joel, Rylan, or even Maria. She imagined Joel berating her for this situation or beating down Rylan into a bloody pulp. She even imagined Rylan leaving her all together, would he still stand by her? Maybe... maybe she could induce a stillborn? Drink some alcohol or fall on her belly by accident, go back to the doctor and ask for a medical solution. These thoughts were all still whirling around in her mind when she heard footsteps come down the stairs. "Ellie?" She tried to compose herself as best she could to present herself to Joel, who came back down to check on her. "What's the matter baby girl?"

"It's nothing..." Ellie shook her head assuring him. "Just nervous I guess. If what Bill says isn't bullshit..." She sniffed. "Maybe we can, you know... do what we did before. With Marlene and the Fireflies..." Joel looked agitated at that. "No, I mean the whole cure thing Joel. It might be really legit."

"Now hold on a second..." He stopped her as he took Rylan's previous seat. "Ellie, I got a feelin' that this whole thing seems to be too good to be true. But Bill seems excited because he, well... changed his mind when he was with Devlin. And he lost two of his friends because of it. So, I kind of feel like I owe him, we owe him. But it's still your decision to go or not. I want you to know that, you understand?"

Ellie nodded, she understood. "Yeah, I still want to do it. I'm not going to be sitting around on my ass waiting for you two to get back."

"Just makin' sure." Joel sighed as he stood back up and stretched his arms. "Better get your bag ready, make sure you get some sleep. Okay?" He smiled through his bushy beard. "We're draggin' ya outta bed 6 A.M. sharp whether you're ready or not."

"Gee thanks..." Ellie joked. "I don't think I'll be awake till noon."

Joel smirked in response. "Yeah? We'll see about that."

* * *

The next morning was a clear one as Rylan jogged his way across the streets of Jackson, making a beeline back to Joel and Ellie's residence. He guessed he was deemed with the privilege of using the front door this time instead of Ellie's window. So he hopped up on the porch, turned the doorknob, and let himself in. "Hey! You guys ready? We're waiting for Bill right?"

"Well well well..." Rylan jumped and turned around to see a man wearing a red bandanna around his mouth. "As I live and breathe..."

"Who the hell are you?" Rylan questioned, cautious as to the stranger's identity. "Never seen you before."

"Oh! Where're my manners?" The man held out his right hand for the young man to shake. "Name's Abraham, also go by Honest Abe... or just Abe if you don't got the time. Bill sent me to pick ya up."

He was hesitant, but he seemingly accepted the man's introduction and his handshake. "Nice to meet you, name's Rylan, do you know me or something?"

" 'Course I know ya," He pointed to his own left eye. "Last one to get the infamous Commander Devlin's signature treatment. He used a butterfly knife on ya, right?"

"Wait, what the fuck?!" Rylan took a step back and reached for his pistol. "How do you know that? Answer me dammit!"

He held his hands up in defense. "Easy there boy, I ain't one to shoot a kid like you with no cause. Just a former Firefly is all..." He chuckled. "Still gotta make a livin' though."

He scoffed. "And you're working with us? A Firefly, seriously?"

"Yup. But it's been about three years since I've hung up my uniform, and I was actually in Idaho I think when the whole University business went down the crapper. Still... can't say I miss them. Just wanted to find a cure and Devlin sure as hell weren't one to do it." Abe reminisced with his hands still up. "Shit happens, right?" He shrugged as his eyes darted behind him. "Welcome to the party guys."

Rylan turned around to see that Joel and Ellie were anxiously waiting by the stairs. They must have listened in to their entire conversation but hung back just in case things went too far. They revealed themselves and joined the other two, cautious. "Name's Joel, and this is Ellie."

Abe's eyes widened especially at the sight of Ellie. "Pleasure... you ready? We should get back to the choo-choo train a.s.a.p."

Joel was nervous, he didn't trust this new face. "Sure, lead the way, Abe."

The four of them departed, sad to see that Maria and Sarah didn't come to see them off, maybe Harvey and the council called them in early for other business if anything then for her attendance. But still, this made this a quiet walk... They just exited out the front gates of Jackson, with relative easy and farewells from the guardsman, when Abe was fed up with the silence. "We really gonna do this...? Not gonna talk like a bunch of awkward teenagers?" They then followed a trail which took them under the trees in a mountain forest. "You fellas this boring all the time?"

"Why didn't Bill pick us up?" Ellie immediately responded to the man.

Abe sighed as he looked back to answer her. "...Things ain't exactly going the way we want them to. Bill's got some balls though, haulin' ass across half the country with all them supplies. He just wants to make sure everything's shipshape before we leave. The plan is we're only stopping once."

"Between here and the Pacific? Where at?" Joel questioned.

"Vegas baby," He smirked. "Hell, if they were still in business, I'd be there number one customer." They all rolled their eyes at that, especially Joel because he knew what he meant. "Anywho, you should know that we might run into some-!"

_*RAAWWGH!*_

A rustling in the bushes sprang to life as a Runner burst out of the green, his face dripping scarlet blood and his arms swinging away as he locked onto the group. This thing got too close too quick. But before any of them could draw their weapon, Abe pulled out a silver desert eagle from a holster on his right side and damn!

_*BANG!*_

...The thing dropped to the ground with one shot to the head, and the scary thing was, it was point blank. Abe didn't even flinch as he stopped the Runner's skull in afterward and put his gun away like it was nothing. "Gettin' rusty much folks? Or am I just that good?"

"That was... impressive." Rylan was indeed impressed with this man's reflexes, despite his laid back attitude. Joel and Ellie let out a breathe that they didn't know they were holding in and they nodded in gratitude.

"Fucker just snuck up on us." Ellie stated as she stepped over the corpse.

"It's alright sweetheart," Abe smiled, but it was a different kind of smile, one of... comfort. "As long as I'm around, I won't let your neck get ripped out, or any other part of your body for that matter."

That was... nice? It was sincere but it was just weird to her. "Uh yeah thanks, but I can take care of myself. Right, Joel?" She looked back at him for support.

"It's true, I've seen her fight tooth and nail to get where she needs to be." Joel crossed his arms as he and Rylan stepped over the fungal corpse as well.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less. She must be just like her..." And then he trailed off. "Never mind, let's just get through this forest. Bill ain't too far now."

Odd.

* * *

"Ow dammit!" Bill cursed as he pinched his finger then he hopped off the train's front while he wiped the grease on his pants. He stretched his arms out and surveyed the train. "She's ready." He was proud of himself. Excluding Joel and his crew, he had six people ready to 'fight to the death' to get these supplies over to Alcatraz. Six boxcars and a caboose was linked to the engine. The first car would be sleeping quarters, the second would be supplies and guns for them to use, and everything else was filled to the brim with equipment and everything else he needed. If there was anyway to do this, this certainly wasn't the shittiest plan he's ever had.

"How much longer till Abe gets back?" Bill turned to see a woman with black hair and slanted eyes. She kept her blue scrubs on and a white lab coat on top. The doctor who made this all possible, Kato Koujima, sent her assistant back with him to make sure the medical equipment would not be damaged on the trip. "Not too much longer Yang, don't worry, they're good people."

"Right, and Bill?" She needed to be reassured. "Our only problem is the bandits in Vegas, yes?"

"Should be. Think it's best you let me and Abe do the talking. It'll be alright." Bill consoled.

"Very good." Yang seemed satisfied as she left to do another analysis of whatever the hell it was. Bill didn't have a clue. But luckily the giant man that was exactly to his liking in the course of a fight shook the ground with every step he took. Standing nearly seven feet tall with bulging black muscles and a shaved head he addressed him. "Hey man, I've double checked and everything but shit... We might need to make another stop." He wore green camouflage pants and a black tank top.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bill didn't want to hear this. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. "What's the problem, Terry?"

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?" His voice was deep as he spoke.

"Dammit I don't care, just tell me both." This was the last thing they needed, another delay and he was under enough stress as it was. But before Terrance could respond they could hear a familiar voice coming up the trail approaching the train.

"Heyo!" Bill glared at Abe, who was also bringing Joel, Ellie, and Rylan right behind him. "I brought company."

"Finally..." Bill sighed as he and Terrance met up with the other four adjacent to the second box car. "Great to see you all came. Welcome to the crew."

Terrance seemed very forward as he offered his hand to the three of them. "I'm Terrance, but everyone calls me Terry."

Joel was surprised to say the least when Terry's dark fist engulfed the entirety of his own white one as they shook hands. This dude was a guy that must have eaten all his vegetables or something. He could be a pro football player or a basketball player, or anything really. "Good to know ya, name's Joel."

"Whoa..." Ellie couldn't remember the last time she's seen a man this tall before. "Nice to meet you Terry." She smiled kindly at him as did Rylan with their introduction.

"Likewise. I'm glad to see that this convoy has more people to escort it. With more hands to do the work, we definitely have a better chance."

"You can say that again. It's hard to trust people with this kind of job, that's why there's so few of us. But I've been luckier before." Bill agreed until he remembered for Terry to continue. "Bad news, Terrance?" He sounded slightly ticked. "Now that we're all here?"

"Ah well..." He scratched the back of his bald head and shifted uncomfortably. "There was a break in the fuel line but don't worry, I fixed it for sure. The bad news is, we need more diesel for the train or we're not going to make it to San Francisco."

"Well that's just great!" Bill sarcastically stated. "What about the power of hope? Think she'll run on that? Or we can push it from behind?"

"Calm down goddammit, is there any good news in here?" Joel interrupted them, not wanting to beat around the bush. "Come on guys, we didn't even leave yet and we can't already be havin' problems."

Terry lightened up a bit, ready to deliver the bright side. "There is a fuel depot for trains about 300 miles down the track, we can make that."

"There we go. You gotta let him finish next time Bill. Jesus..." Ellie grumbled.

Bill furrowed his eyebrows. "Fine then. Anything else?"

"Do we know that there's fuel still there?" Rylan questioned.

"There damn well better be for the shit we're about to face." Abe chimed in as he walked away from the group to climb into the train, and he called out to their last crew-mate. "Ying yang, we're back! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Something's better than nothin'." Bill muttered as he declared to the entire group. "Okay... let's just get going. All aboard everyone!"

They didn't have anytime to lose now.

The rest of them quickly made their way to locomotive and they climbed into the first open boxcar designated for them to settle in. A few minutes had passed until Bill got himself comfy in the cabin of the engine, and he started the whole thing up. The steam hissed under the wheels, the engine chugged slowly but surely, and the whole thing began to move ever so slightly. Then it picked up some speed.

The trees were passing by faster and faster...

They opened up the sides of their boxcar to get a look-see. And the view was magnificent when they cleared the forest. The Rocky mountains dazzled in a multitude of dark hues in contrast to the fields of green that lay at their base. It was an amazing sight, and hopefully they could all come back to see it again soon, along with Maria and little Sarah.

Joel had placed a hand on Ellie's left shoulder, while Rylan placed his hand on her right shoulder.

And all Ellie could do in response was wrap both her arms around her belly...

They were on their way...

* * *

**A/N- All Aboard The Last of Us Train! Come on and take a ride with our heroes who will take on challenges like never before. What awaits them at this fuel depot? Will the Vegas bandits pose a problem when they get there? What should Ellie do about her condition? And do you think Abe is hiding something? It's a long trip to San Francisco... Review your thoughts and responses and stay tuned. :)**


	4. Long Road Ahead

**THE  
****LAST  
OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- Thank you all for the attention/reviews so far. I really appreciate it, so let's keep it up. :) This story just got started, and some of you are pretty close in the reviews concerning Abe.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Long Road Ahead**

The rhythmic sounds of the locomotive thundered along the tracks as they passed by the terrain and they racked up mile after mile. Bill was still at the helm where the controls of the train were at, and he said that he would slow them down when they would be approaching the fuel depot by then. But that wouldn't be for a little while at least.

They had already met Yang the scientist, she was taking a break from her monitoring of the medical equipment in the other cars and decided to rest for some lunch, as did the others. Abe and Terry were off in a corner talking about something private that was out of their earshot while Joel, Ellie, Rylan, and Yang decided to talk to one another over their meal.

"So, you're all from Jackson?" Yang inquired from any of them as she ate some crackers.

"Pretty much." Rylan answered as he sipped some water. "Been living there since before I met this crazy duo." He pointed jokingly over towards Joel and Ellie who just brushed him off. "What about you?"

"Yeah, where're you from Yang?" Ellie asked changing the focus onto her.

"Oh, me?" She seemed a little shy. "Well... Dr. Kojima and I we came to California from Japan about five or six years ago. It feels like a lifetime though..."

"If you don't mind me askin'," Joel piped up after he finished his stick of jerky. "Is it any better there than it is here?"

Yang suddenly look sadden, and her features darkened as her eyes stared downcast. "Tokyo is home to over 10 million people..." She then somberly stated to all of them. "That was... too many Infected to contain." She went on in a depressed tone. "Our research facility was overrun, and we had to take our boat to escape. We... we had to leave a lot of people behind to save our data... But then the doctor had the brilliant idea to set up our lab in Alcatraz. It was isolated, and the Cordyceps was more controllable there."

"You never had any accidents with your research?" Ellie cited the Firefly's University Lab and how the monkeys escaped and bit a doctor, prompting them to abandon that place until Devlin moved back in.

"Thankfully, we've been lucky so far." Yang slightly smiled. "Dr. Kojima's men, soldiers, keep everything under control."

"Sounds like a great setup." Rylan commented as he finished his lunch. "Hope this all goes smoothly, that'd be a nice change of pace."

"I as well." Yang nodded, but then curiously enough the watch on her wrist went off and she stood up. "Abraham, it's time for your blood test."

As the two men finished off their conversation, Abe turned towards her direction. "Yeah? Well alright then. Great." He strolled down the boxcar to join her. "I'm ready for my check-up my little lily."

The foreign girl scoffed at his advances. "Drop the jokes Abe, you're the one who wanted me to run your blood."

"It ain't a joke yin yang," He smiled deviously. "How come we..." His eyes scanned her body up and down. "...never hooked up?"

Yang huffed at the older man. "Because you called me a whore and a goddamn chink."

"Oh right." Abe remembered that not so pleasant day after they both met the first time. "Got a way with words, don't I?"

"Christ Abe, just leave the girl alone." Joel stopped him, getting up on his own two feet. "You'd best be careful, 'cause she's the one stickin' a needle in your arm."

"He's got a point Abe." Ellie chirped as she scarfed down her granola bar, also eyeing Rylan's. "You going to eat that?" She was a lot hungrier than usual recently, but glad she wasn't throwing up instead.

"Yes." Rylan simply stated as he kept her prying fingers away from the rest of his lunch.

"Okay okay, ya'll make a fair argument, come on doc, let's get this over with." Abe conceded as he made his way to the next boxcar, and Yang gave a silent thanks to Joel and the couple as she followed the man out.

Joel sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "Some people, I guess..."

"You're telling me." Terry responded to join in on their conversation. "Abe's got a bit of a mouth on him, but he's not all bad. From what I can tell, he's loyal to this cause, just like the rest of us."

Ellie meanly retorted. "He sounds like a racist asshole..." The slur he used to yell at Yang was inexcusable in her book.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't go that far... sometimes those words of his just slip out though. But I know he won't pull that shit on me." Terry folded his arms with a sense of pride. " 'Cause he knows I'll knock him flat on his ass if he does."

Rylan responded with a smirk. "I feel like you can knock anyone on their ass if you wanted."

"Pretty much." Terrance couldn't deny his own strength. "Listen, I'm not defending the man, but he's good in the fight, our fight in particular. You'll get use to it."

"Why's Yang giving Abe a blood test anyway?" Ellie pressed. "He sick?"

"Hell if I know..." Terry shrugged again. "He could be. But if any of you guys actually get sick..." He pointed at the exit of the boxcar. "Yang's little lab in the third car will fix you right up."

* * *

The train rattled as it continued its trek along the tracks, Bill sat in the cabin of the train sipping something that could be anything out of his personal black thermos. What that liquid could be, we will never know. However in the meantime, it was Joel who opened the door and stepped inside the cabin to talk to his old business partner and now friend. "Bill?"

"Yeah?" He simply acknowledged.

"How much further till we get to this first stop? To get more diesel?" Joel internally wanted a game plan for any excursion that entitled stepping off this locomotive. It was a rational thought.

" 'Bout forty more miles to go before we pull into Salt Lake City, that's where the depot is." Bill muttered as he quickly did a diagnosis on the engine's gauges and such. "I know it sounds like there'd be nothin' left, but I trust Terry, and he's says we can still find enough diesel there."

Joel furrowed his eyebrows in response. "Y'know I'm worried though right? If you can believe it, last time I was in that city it was full of Fireflies, Clickers, and giraffes." Now that he thought of it, it was a weird combination. "I'm just trying to look out for us."

"I know Joel. That's why we're going to be fuckin' careful. I've been thinking the whole time about this on our way over here, and I think I got a plan for us." Bill responded in a confident manner.

"Go on..." The bearded man motioned him and he waited to listen, leaning on his side with his arms crossed.

Bill just kept his eyes on the controls, not even looking at Joel as he explained his scheme. "Terry and I are the experts when it comes to this train, so we'll deal with the refueling when we pull up. All you gotta do is get everyone else on top of the train and cover us. This thing will be noisy as hell when we roll through, so if any Infected are there, it'll be like moths to a flame."

"That ain't a bad idea..." Joel scratched his face. "How long you think you'll need?"

"Not too long, but it'll be hard for us to shoot and fill'er up at the same time. Just when I give the signal, do what comes natural to ya." Bill affirmed as he concluded the plan. "Be in and out before ya know it, and then we keep headin' west."

The old man nodded. "Alright... sounds good." He turned around to open the compartment to exit. "I'll get'em ready."

"You do that." Bill nodded as he saw the outline of a metropolis within this range of mountains.

* * *

Salt Lake City looked the same as it had been the last time Joel and Ellie had been there. Like every other city in the country, it appeared barren and desolate. They passed the downtown area which was to the right of the tracks as they continued to approach its seemingly unoccupied train yard. Bill pulled the lever to slow the locomotive to an eventual stop, and he hopped out of the compartment with no time to lose. "Get ready! Everyone in position!" A loud screech echoed across the area as the train slowed its momentum until it became still and ready to safely jump down to get the job done. "Terry, let's go!"

Joel, Ellie, Rylan, and Abe were already climbing to the top of the train as Terry and Bill sprinted to where they needed to go. "Try to make it fast guys!" Joel then mentioned to the others who were on top of the boxcar with him. "Make every shot count!"

"You won't have to worry about that from me." Abe smugly smirked as he and the rest of them raised their rifles, and they all waited for any impeding Infected from coming out of their hiding places.

_*RAWHH!* RAHH!* *YAAH!*_

"Goddammit!" Joel grunted as he and their team look their guns. "We got Infected!"

Right on cue, Runners and Stalkers came barreling around the abandoned debris and stray boxcars all around them. Beginning to swarm with a dozen heading towards Bill and Terry, they all fired and began to provide cover. Round after round after round, they were all good shots to get the job done when suddenly they heard something behind them on the other side of the locomotive.

"Help me! AHH! HELP!"

Rylan whirred around and surprisingly saw a women running across the adjacent track and towards a small station building with two or three Runners chasing her. She looked unarmed and she was seeking shelter, perhaps she thought we were dangerous or hoped that this large train would draw away the Infected from her. Sadly, a couple followed her inside, so Rylan pointed her out. "Look! Someone needs help! Right there!"

Ellie sparred a glance to who he was talking about as Abe and Joel kept shooting at the Infected surrounding Bill and Terry. "Joel! You hear her?"

Her screaming echoed along with that of the moans and roars of the Infected. "Yeah, I hear her." He nodded as he fired another shot and killed a Runner that was several feet away from Bill.

"She's probably dead anyway we gotta focus on the task at hand." Abe affirmed as he fired another shot from his rifle. "Can't risk it."

"Shit... Fuck!" Rylan shook his head at this. "What if it was you down there? Ellie! We can spare a gun or two to go down and help her. Joel!"

Rylan really wanted to help this woman in immediate danger on the other side of the train, however Bill and Terry needed all the cover fire they needed to get this fuel. Internally though, Joel and Ellie where conflicted with the moral dilemma, they had a chance to help a fellow survivor...

Should they help the woman in peril or leave her...?

* * *

**A/N- Decision Time- What should the group do? Could they send two of the their own to save the female survivor? Or should they all continue to cover Bill and Terry?**

**A big revelation will be revealed next chapter so stay tuned. :) Sorry about the shortness of the chapter.**


	5. Thicker Than Water

**The**  
**Last of**  
**Us III**

**A/N- I have clearly overestimated my own abilities starting up with this story. I'm really sorry for making you wait. Do you guys want to see this story to the end? I'd like to hear from you. Thanks :) Here's a very short flipping chapter, sorry. It would've been longer if we tried to save the female survivor.**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Thicker Than Water**_

Rylan really wanted to help this woman in immediate danger on the other side of the train, however Bill and Terry needed all the cover fire they could get to fuel this train. Internally though, Joel and Ellie where conflicted with the moral dilemma, they had a chance to help a fellow survivor...

Should they help the woman in peril or leave her...?

"Leave her dammit!" Abe exclaimed. "We got more important shit going down!"

"He's right!" Joel agreed, while he shot another Runner that was way too close to Bill. "They're almost done! Reload and get ready!"

"FUCK!" Rylan cursed as he turned his back on the female survivor and resumed his shooting as well.

After about a few more minutes of shooting, over the sounds of the bullets being fired, a loud scream that came from the woman echoed across the train yard. Ellie shut her eyes at the thought only momentarily as Rylan merely swore again under his breathe.

"Can't save'em all kids." Abe reprimanded them as he fired another headshot into an Infected that was next to Terry. "Get that through your fuckin' skulls."

The last Runner and Clicker were killed by Joel on top of the train, and Terry on the ground with his gun. For the first time since they just pulled in, all was silent, not a single Infected in sight. Not to mention, bullet casings littered the train and ground all around them. "Goddamn..." Joel sighed as he lowered his rifle, as did the rest of them.

"We're good to go!" Bill shouted at them as he banged his fist on the train. "Let's get moving!"

They didn't have anymore time to waste as Bill climbed into the cabin up front, and everyone else dropped in or hopped into the first or second boxcar inside. They had to use a lot of ammunition to get this fuel, so hopefully there would be no more unnecessary delays. Rylan looked on somberly before he himself landed in the first boxcar and sighed placing his gun off to the side and running his fingers through his brown hair. "Christ..."

"What's the matter kid?" Abe inquired as he patted his back. "Girl was dead anyway, no use getting all sore about it."

"Maybe you're right..." The one-eyed young man shrugged. "I mean, I don't know..."

"It was her own damn fault wandering into a dead city full of Infected." Abe affirmed to him. "You ain't her responsibility, that's the hard truth. You're responsible for our people only." Bill's locomotive started back up with renewed vigor and it sprang forward along the tracks as they continued their journey. Joel and Ellie approached the other two with neutral expressions. "Good shootin'!" He praised all of them. "Now I see why Bill likes ya."

"Bill likes us?" Joel joked as he went over to sit on a crate to rest his legs. "That's news to me."

"He better fucking like us." Ellie smugly stated while crossing her arms. "We've sure had plenty of practice."

Abe nodded, crossing his arms like her as well. "I bet you have Anna."

...wait what? Joel and Rylan noticed the slip of the tongue, however Ellie took the mistake of name much more seriously. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows arched. It wasn't until another moment passed that Abe noticed it as well, and he gave a small gasp. "...aw shit."

"What did you call me?" Ellie asked desperately as she pushed past a confused Rylan, internally acknowledging that the name 'Anna' was very familiar to him and apparently a lot to Ellie. "What did you just say, Abe?"

Rylan took a step forward and placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder which she merely shrugged off, not needing the support. "Ellie?"

"Ellie. Baby girl, what's wrong?" Joel asked as he got back up but decided to just let things unfold before them, wary still.

The sound of the metal wheels and axles rhythmically clanked and clacked over and over as the two confronted each other. Abe stood silent as he removed his hat to reveal very short dark red hair, and he took his bandanna off to find that he had a red beard to accompany it too, finally showing his full face and piercing green eyes. "Damn girl... you look just like your mother..."

Putting two and two together there was really easy at that moment, Ellie's mouth just dropped, and Rylan was just looking between his girlfriend and this man they meet only just recently. Joel was speechless as well, trying to process this too.

Terry then came up to them with a deep and hearty laugh. "Great job, my friends. It's nice to see us all working together!"

"RAH!" Ellie grunted loudly as she landed her right leg right in between Abe's legs, and while he was keeling over from that unexpected painful blow, Ellie then clocked him right across the jaw with all of her might.

"ARGH!" Abraham yelped as he was sent to the floor by his newly found biological daughter. Ellie quickly stormed off down into the next boxcar despite Joel and Rylan's protests. Abe then smirked while he writhed on the floor in agony. "She hits like her mother too..."

* * *

**A/N- Some of you may have predicted that... some probably have not. How will all of this change their journey now? Give me your honest thoughts and whether if I should continue this sequel to a squeal. See ya!**


	6. A Small World After All

**The**  
**Last of**  
**Us III**

**A/N- Wow, I didn't know so many were in support for this. :) Thanks! If you keep up the encouragement, I'm sure we can see this story through as I do this partly for you guys. On with the journey... and the drama.**

* * *

_**Chapter 6: A Small World After All**_

"Goddamn... that smarts!" Abe howled as he barely managed to stand on his own two feet, albeit he was hunching over slightly from Ellie's very recent ferocious assault. "...Maybe ain't the best way to break that kind of news..."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rylan questioned as he witnessed his girlfriend close the door behind her to get to the next carriage, and then back at Abe who for once did not look proud of himself. "You're Ellie's dad? No way!"

"The girl?" Terry looked back as well, confused as to what he just walked into. "Care to explain, someone?"

"Jesus Christ..." Joel rubbed his eyes and by second nature he ran off after his baby girl. "I'm gonna go talk to her." He addressed to Rylan to which he furrowed his eyebrows at.

"I should come too." He advanced with him, and Joel put his hand up in protest.

"No, both of us loomin' over her won't do much good right about now." He retorted. "You'll say your piece son, just let me handle this."

Reluctant at first, Rylan eventually complied and allowed the old man to go off and comfort Ellie by himself for now. "Okay, go!" Anyway, he had a lot of questions to ask Abe.

When Joel left the boxcar and closed the door behind him, Rylan turned to confront 'Honest Abe'. Terry scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm going to go check Bill and see how long we'll have till we reach Vegas..." Guess he didn't want to be a third wheel, so he went towards the front and made his way to the cabin, leaving Abe and Rylan alone.

"Well?" The young man crossed his arms. "Am I going to hear excuses or an explanation?"

"Probably both." Abe sighed as he finally relaxed his composure, seemingly recovered from the redhead's outburst. "But you ain't the one I should be explaining myself to anyway..."

He growled. "Maybe you should practice your bullshit story on me, asshole." The brunette shook his head at the man with contempt. "Unless I see a DNA test, I don't think I'll even believe you."

Abe scoffed at that. "Oh, you will boy." He rubbed his jaw to see if it was bruised. "You remember that blood test I asked yin yang to do when we set out?"

"Yeah? So?" Rylan had a suspicion but he needed to confirm it.

"When it comes back a match with Ellie, I'm sure you'll believe me just fine." Abe scowled at him.

"Oh yeah? How did you get Ellie's DNA?" He questioned harshly and taking a step towards him, all bravado as best he could.

The old man had to smirk at his own feat. "One word: Marlene. Remember? I doubt you do, seeing as you didn't come into the picture till Devlin was in charge."

"I know her, you dick. What's she got to do with anything?" Rylan hissed back, thinking internally about the woman Ellie and Joel mentioned several times in the years he's known them. She was the woman who preceded the Commander in heading up the Fireflies.

"I wasn't just some lowly grunt in the Fireflies kid." Abe stated with pride. "...One thing I got after all these years is a network. So you better respect your elders boy." He suddenly pushed the young man back into the opposite wall with a bang. He chuckled. "I mean, I can take an insult as much as the next guy, but I don't try to piss people off when I can help it."

Rylan composed himself as he tried to look tough. "You damn hypocrite... Sure, how's that working out for you?" He sneered. "I heard you with Yang earlier, and I'm sure you pissed off the daughter you abandoned all her life!"

He furrowed his eyebrows at that. "Yin yang was asking for it so tough shit for the both of them. Now Ellie, look at her, she turned out okay, she's alive and as far as I know, sane. And she got herself a new daddy... it was all real nice I bet. Besides, you have any idea how many orphans there are in this world? She's one of the lucky ones if you ask me. ...And I loved her mother, I truly did, but I was fighting the good fight, I was always trying to fight the good fight."

"Fuck you." Rylan growled. "That's no excuse."

"What did I just say about pissing people off boy?" Abraham huffed.

Rylan glared at Abe with ferociousness, he may have not gotten the whole story, but to him and according to Ellie, a nice beating would do this guy some good. So the young eye-patched man lunged at him!

* * *

Ellie was at the rear of the train, at the caboose to be precise, standing on the ledge with just a safety bar to hold onto and prevent her from falling off. The feisty redhead was just staring down at the passing tracks they were traveling on, the sound of the wheels rolling along underneath her. She wanted to be alone to think... but she wasn't alone.

She heard the door to the caboose open up and in came a familiar voice she held so dear. "Hey... You uh... you okay baby girl?"

She scoffed at Joel's sincere but automatic inquiry. "Do I look like I'm fucking okay?"

She heard him sigh and a door close, looking off beside her, she saw the old man leaning on the bar and mirroring her position. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No." She spat flatly.

Joel persisted. "Gotta be a lot to take in I guess."

"You have no idea Joel." Ellie responded sadly.

"I got some idea..." Joel began his case. "I remember when Tommy and I..." He paused and momentarily closed his eyes to pay some tribute to his lost brother and then he went on. "...when he and I were just waiting at the front door for our daddy to come home. And then one day... he never did."

"What?" Ellie quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Didn't know what happened to him, never wanted to know..." Joel sighed again as he rubbed his eyes then scratched his graying beard. "...Had to do a lot on my own." He went off the list. "Drive a car, do my taxes... learn how to shave, now that wasn't pretty."

He was relieved to hear that he earned a chuckle from the redhead. "I know how you feel... kind of."

"Yeah..." But Joel knew he had to get back at the matter at hand. "...but the thing is Ellie, that guy back there, he's not your dad. Not if you don't want him to."

"I don't. Even if he is telling the truth." She shook her head at the thought. "Besides, I already got one..." She grinned at him.

"Can I get that in writing?" Joel joked as he ruffled up her hair with his hand playfully. "You're always better looking with that smile."

"Gee thanks." The mountainside they were traversing around was high up on the ledge, and the sun was hiding behind the high peak that the tracks were on. It gave the sky a warm orange color, seeing as it was getting close to sunset here. Ellie returned her gaze to the tracks below them again, and with an absent mind took her left hand and rested it on her stomach. "Joel?"

"Yeah baby girl?" He was there for her, even if they didn't have to talk. It got to the point with them that silence was comfortable between them always. "You wanna say something?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded, wondering if that was the right time. Or if this would allievate some sort of stress building up inside. She closed her eyes and thought hard.

Should Ellie tell Joel about her pregnancy? Or not? Say...

'I'm Pregnant'

OR

'Never Mind'

* * *

**A/N- I've got this decision thing on the brain bad, but seeing as you guys are ready this, I want your input too! :) What should Ellie do here? Tell me in the reviews guys, seriously! And let's see who wants to go to New Vegas in the next chapter? Stay tuned!**


	7. Beatdown

**THE  
****LAST  
OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- Lovely to see some of you participating, I was so use to writing walking dead recently that decision just came up. The story will be linear from here on out unless you guys like the choices, which I think is a much different take on The Last of Us, send me your thoughts on that. Anyway, enjoy! :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 7: Beatdown**_

"Joel?"

"Yeah baby girl?" He was there for her, even if they didn't have to talk. It got to the point with them that silence was always comfortable between them. "You wanna say something?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded, wondering if that was the right time. Or if this would alleviate some sort of stress building up inside. She closed her eyes and thought hard then said it aloud. "I'm... pregnant."

...

"What?" He turned to face her and he slightly chuckled. "Sorry Ellie, I think I got something in my ear..." Joel took his pinkie and wriggled it around his ear-hole. "Could you uh... say that again?"

Ellie wondered if she could turn back now, but it seemed like she had already made her bed and now she had to lie in it for the consequences. Joel would pursue or be suspicious if she avoided this now so... "I'm pregnant, Joel."

Now an awkward silence grew between them as the old man and the redhead stared at each other, trying to read one another's facial expressions. Joel's was blank until his face contorted and he suddenly snarled. "I'll kill him!"

He quickly turned heel and headed for the door of the caboose, already reaching for the handle, Ellie tired to stop him. "No! Joel, he doesn't even know yet!"

"Then I'll kill him quick!" Joel settled, grinding his teeth as he continued his efforts of opening the entrance, but the girl had gone to lengths to block the door with her body. "Outta the way Ellie!"

"No!" She shook her head, prepared for her beloved bearded guardian to rip through her just to get to Rylan. Poor guy, probably wouldn't even see this coming... Oh my god, he couldn't find out this way... She'd really wish she kept this a fucking secret now! "Goddammit Joel, listen to me!"

"I don't need to hear it anymore, Ellie!" Joel roared as he grabbed Ellie's shoulders and forced her out of the way even though she used all of her might in just blocking him. But he was stronger, heavier, Joel had the rage and intent to overpower her and storm back into the train. And Ellie was yelling at him all the way after him.

Oh boy... this was going to be bad...

* * *

Terry and Bill were discussing further plans in the cabin at the front. Terry was muttering something under his breathe as Bill kept focus on the controls. "Hell of a delay, but if we keep chugging on, then we can make it to Vegas tomorrow morning for sure."

"Abe better pull through for us with Gilroy," Terry grumbled an acknowledgement as he eyed a map of the traintracks spannng the whole western half of the contienetal United States. "But at least when we pass by him, it should be a straight shot."

"Damn straight, Terrance." Bill nodded, hoping that everything would go smoothly from here on out.

But it was never that easy...

Bill's walkie-talkie erupted with static and it took a moment for the larger man to respond by grabbing hold of it and bringing it up to his face. "Yang, got something to share?"

When Bill released the button, he and Terry could hear a grunting struggle in the backround as the asian scientist was talking over the radio. "...Uh, Bill? Terry? I need one of you to get down here. We have a-! _*CRASH*_ We have a situation down here! Stop fighting!" He heard her cry.

"What?!" Bill yelped in alarm from the news. What the hell could they be fighting about? "Take the controls!" He ordered Terry as he got up from his chair and quickly headed out the door. "I'll deal with this childish shit myself..."

Bill raced down the side of the long engine which had the steel walkway leading from the cabin of the controls to the first boxcar. Moments later, he burst into the carriage and his eyes widened when he found Abraham holding Rylan in a suffocating headlock, his face turning red.

"Had enough, boy?" Abe held him firmly in his clutches. "You still so eager to fight me now?"

"Let... go..." The young brunette coughed and tried to claw his meaty arm off of his neck.

It was then that Bill just noticed Yang by the door just watching the two of them go at it, not so sure as what to do. She and Bill exchanged a glance of concern and then Bill nodded seeing as Rylan would need his assistance. "Get off of him, Abe!"

Bill ran forward and latched onto the old redhead's arm, and he peeled it back until Rylan fell forward out of his grasp and gasping for air. _"...*GASP*... *GASP* ..._ fucking asshole."

"Get off of me!" Abe shrugged off Bill's effort to control him, and he just stepped back trying to catch his breathe himself. "Boy attacked me first... lucky I know his blind spot."

It was only then that they all noticed that Rylan's eye patch had fallen off in the fight, revealing that his left orb was still missing since Commander Devlin cut it out so long ago. His eyelid remained shut as he grabbed his patch off the floor and quickly adjusted it himself. "I ain't a boy Abe..."

"You sure as hell act like it. Something don't go your way, you throw a little temper tantrum." Abe insulted him. "You still got a lot to learn kid, especially when it comes to brawling."

"Will someone tell me why you two bozos were at it in the first place? Anyone?!" Bill questioned looking back and forth between both of them. "Well?!"

Rylan slowly rose to his feet and pointed his finger at him accusingly. "This asshole is Ellie's dad."

"Oh so now you believe me?" Abe crossed his arms with a grimace. "Knocked some sense into ya, did I?"

Yang surprisingly stepped forward. "Umm, I was coming to show you the results of the initial blood test Abe, but then I found you and Rylan-!"

"Wait wait wait wait, hold on a sec." Bill stopped her, putting his hands up in a motion, trying to figure this thing out. "You're sayin-!"

The door leading to the second boxcar on the train suddenly burst open and a steaming red Joel was pacing his way straight towards an unsuspecting Rylan. "..._You!"_

The brunette turned his head in confusion towards the bearded man. "Hey Joel, is Ellie alright-?"

"Rylan, run!" They all turned except for Joel at Ellie who had just entered the boxcar as well with everyone else. "He's going to-!"

_*WHAM!*_

Without holding back, Joel swung his burly fist and clocked a clueless Rylan right into the left side of his head. With all the strength behind it, he staggered back and tripped over a lawn chair that was used for relaxing in the train. Following that, he fell back and Rylan's head hit the edge off a wooden supply crate, knocking him out cold...

"That's for getting my baby girl pregnant!" Joel shouted at the nonresponsive nineteen year old. "GET UP!" Joel's chest heaved up and down, up and down, slowly realizing what he just did, and his face of anger dissolved into that of regret. "Oh shit..." He looked around at everyone else. "I... I don't know what came over me... I..."

"You mean to tell me..." Bill trailed off as he was trying to collect as to what was happening here. Yang and Ellie exclaimed and pushed past Joel and Abe, tending to the probably concussed Rylan as of now. "Wait... she's..." Ellie was preganant. "And you..." Abe was Ellie's biological father. "And he's..." Rylan was the father of her baby.

"WHEN DID MY TRAIN TURN INTO THE GODDAMN JERRY SPRINGER SHOW?!"

Abe smirked at Bill while wiping his brow with sleeve. "You used to watch that shit?"

"No! You know what I mean, dammit!" He retorted and then he began to mutter to himself.

Joel then reached down and approached the eighteen year old. "Ellie, I'm sorry I-!"

Ellie however snapped back at him. "You're sorry?! Joel, you completely overreacted!"

"That kid got nothing but whoop ass all across the board today." Abe sighed with a laugh. "Yin yang, when you're done with him, meet me in the lab car, sound good?"

"Why don't you make yourself useful and get some bandages and medicine. He might need stiches too." Yang retorted with a demand to which Joel volunteered for.

"I'll get them, okay? Just... keep him stable, keep him still." The bearded man told them with concern.

"We know what to do." Ellie coldly stared at him. "Just go get the stuff." Joel nodded and complied as he went off to get the supplies out of the lab car.

"You think Rylan will be up by morning?" Bill asked Yang for his status, questioning whether they'd have a man out of commission or not.

But Abe interrupted her. "We meeting Gilroy tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Bill nodded to confirm. "From what we know about him, we should expect the worst, just in case."

"Who the fuck is Gilroy?!" Ellie hissed at them, inquiring information while she caressed Rylan's cheek. Her boyfriend most likely lost consciousness before he could even hear Joel give him the serious news. This gave her the chance to tell him first, and she was going to stick to him like glue until he woke up with a god awful headache. "You guys gonna answer me?"

"He's an old friend of mine." Abe answered as he leaned against the wall of the carriage behind him. "Real old friend."

"Define friend..."

* * *

**A/N- I thought this was a good place to stop. So, from what we know already, who is this mysterious man named Gilroy? Is he bad or perhaps even good? Abe seems to know him well, so what could be the result of them passing through Vegas? Do you think Joel was in the wrong? Tell me what you guys think please! :)**


	8. Salutations

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- Well, let's finally move on to some action! Yeah! WOO! Sorry for the lateness of this update, it's been weird for me... I had a bit of hiatus on where I wanted to go with this story but I'm pretty sure I know how I want to do it now. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Salutations**_

"Who the fuck is Gilroy?!" Ellie hissed at them, inquiring information while she caressed Rylan's cheek. Her boyfriend most likely lost consciousness before he could even hear Joel give him the serious news. This gave her the chance to tell him first, and she was going to stick to him like glue until he woke up with a god awful headache. "You guys gonna answer me?"

"He's an old friend of mine." Abe answered as he leaned against the wall of the carriage behind him. "Real old friend."

"Define friend.." Ellie spat in a brash tone.

"Aw well..." Abe scratched the back of his head sheepishly towards his biological daughter. "He ain't exactly a cup of tea, but he's smart. There's a lot more to him than that though."

"I don't give a damn about Gilroy at this point!" Bill shouted at him, exasperated with all these complications already.

The five of them, well one of them being unconsciousness so the four of them, were all on edge from the current state of events. All the while Abe and Bill were arguing, Joel had come back from getting Yang's kit. So together, Joel and Ellie did their best to carry Rylan out of the boxcar and into the medical carriage.

"Ellie I'm... I'm sorry." Joel tried to apologize to her as Yang got a gurney ready in her makeshift lab in there. Like mentioned earlier, Yang's medical car was third on the train, and it housed most of the equipment for the trip. Joel did his best to gently lift the limp Rylan onto the gurney, and the two of them stepped back for Yang to work on his head. "I could have handled that better..."

Ellie had her arms crossed and she wouldn't even look at him. "You think?! He didn't even know Joel! He probably still doesn't know if you gave him brain damage!"

"He may need a couple of stitches, but he should live." Yang chimed in with her assurance, but then she spared the young redhead a glance. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're with child, right? His child?" She motioned to Rylan.

Looking from Joel to Yang back and forth a few times before answering. "Yeah..." She twirled a wisp of her own hair in embarrassment. "I'm going to have a baby." Internally, it felt actually kind of nice to not keep that a secret anymore even if Joel blurted it out for all to hear.

"When I'm done with him, I'd like to run some tests on you. Standard procedure, make sure if the fetus is coming along normally." She then looked to Joel for a certain permission. "Does that sound reasonable?"

Joel knew Ellie would want to stay with here with Rylan anyway if she can help it. This sounded like a good excuse for them to just separate and cool down for a moment. "Yeah... it's up to her though."

Ellie nodded almost immediately. "Okay, just as long as you take care of him."

"Of course." Yang nodded firmly as she began her work on the brunette's head. "Just stick around." The Asian girl then turned her attention to Joel. "Check in with Bill please. If Vegas is coming up, he'll need your help."

Joel raised an eyebrow even at that nice excuse to get out of here for Ellie. "Really? Is it that bad?"

"Yes. Abe doesn't want to admit it, but..." She paused and intently began to work on Rylan's head. "...just please go up to the cabin."

Joel remained silent and only responded with a nod towards her and then his gaze fell onto an anxious Ellie, who was still holding her boyfriend's hand. The two of them exchanged glances but no words as Joel took his leave and headed to the front. He passed to the first carriage to find Abe sitting in the lawn chair Rylan tripped over earlier by himself.

"Bill's up front if you need him." Abe grunted as he was cleaning his desert eagle in his lap. "How's the boy?"

Joel mumbled a response as he made his way towards the engine. "He'll live."

"Good. And Ellie?"

Joel stopped in his tracks as anger began to envelop his heart. This was Ellie's dad? Only by blood maybe. But after all this time, all these years of him being alive and he COULD have taken care of her. That wasn't right in his book. After all of these years of being with this her, Joel would never let anyone take her away from him. Rylan however... was he a special case? If he was barely going to let him into the family, he sure as shit wouldn't let Ellie's 'dad' get involved with their personal affairs. "She's fine." He simply told him.

"Huh..." He paused. "I think we're a hell of a team, aren't we?" Abe chuckled as he put his gun away and stood up. "There ain't nobody I'd rather have fight by my side than you Joel." He smirked. "I can tell you're one of them one-man army type of guys, just like me. Had to be to get Ellie outta St. Mary's Hospital, right? And then the whole Devlin fiasco?"

"Then you know how many Fireflies had to go..." Joel darkly responded to him, not granting him his gaze as he reached for the door.

Abe laughed as he sat back down and crossed his legs in a relaxation pose, probably about to nap. "Good thing I ain't a Firefly no more."

* * *

It was the dead of night with the full moon high in the sky and with no clouds to block it. The train snaked its way across the metal tracks like it had done all day. Terry was surveying the controls while Bill was looking through the front window with binoculars. He set them down as Joel entered the cabin to join them. "How ya'll doing up here? Bill?"

"Tch..." The large bearded man scoffed. "Well I'd say the sooner we get all this done, the better... goddamn ridiculous what happened back there." He must have referred to the secrets being revealed and Joel blew his top.

"Yeah... sorry about that." Joel scratched his beard as he leaned against the closed door. "I uh... it was all-!"

"I don't wanna hear it Joel." He put his hand up to stop him. "I really don't." Bill then put up his binoculars once again. "Terry, we're coming up on Williamson Bridge. Should be passing under it in T-minus 60 seconds."

"Checking that off sir..." Terrance muttered as he unfolded the map in his pocked and pulled out an old pencil. "With the way we're going, we should see Gilroy by morning."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that too." Joel interrupted them. "Everyone on this train is talking about this guy. You gonna fill me in this time? For once Bill?"

"He owns Vegas Joel. And our track runs through Vegas." Bill answered him oh so matter of fact about it. "I'm sure you can put two and two together."

There was an eerie silence between the three of them before Joel spoke up once more. "So he's a bad guy?" The old man furrowed his eyebrows at his friend. "The bad guy is just waiting for us to stroll through his city? Isn't there another line we can take? Go around Vegas?"

"All the other tracks were blocked or damaged. This is the way we got to Wyoming, this is how we'll get back!" Terrance shot down that idea, his voice booming in the cabin. "You think we haven't thought of that?"

"He has the opportunity to take everything from us." Bill hissed. "We can't let that happe-!" His eyes widened when he looked out the window again. "OH SHIT!"

Joel ran up to Bill's side and followed his gaze. His eyes widened and his breathe hitched as well when he saw men, probably bandits, standing on top of the bridge they were going under. It wasn't that far of a drop at all for these guys to hitch a ride and jump on the top of the cars. And of course, that's what they did.

_*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*_

One after another, they heard the loud landings of men hitting the top of the carriages all along the train. There had to be at least half a dozen of them, and it took a few more moments from them to be clear of the bridge. The thudding stopped as panic began to rise, Joel's heartbeat quickened as instinct took over, his first thought was the unsuspecting Ellie.

"Bill!" He exclaimed to him. "Keep this train going! Lock yourself down in here!" He then turned towards Terrance. "You're with me big guy, come on!"

No quarrels or protests were said, everything was kicked into high gear as the two of them followed Joel's words. Bill locked the door behind them as Terry and Joel made their way to the first carriage. "I see them!" Terry pointed to the roofs of the fourth and fifth boxcars. "They're dropping down into the train!"

The wind whooshed as they entered the first carriage with an alarmed Abraham with his gun out. "The fuck is goin' on?!"

"We got some stowaways we need to sweep away, six of them at least!" Joel informed him seriously. "You're with us, we gotta make sure the others are safe! Now!"

Abe surprisingly didn't need to be told twice as the three men got their pistols out and formed a wedge-shape formation down the first and second carriages. Gunshots could already be heard as they heeded women exclaim and bandits grunting in pain. "Fuck you chickenshit motherfuckers!"

"Ellie!" Bullets were whizzing by as they all hid behind some crates.

At the entrance of the fourth carriage, they could see two or three masked people shooting their guns from cover at an overturned gurney where Yang, Ellie, and a bandaged Rylan were hiding behind. They had to come up with another plan so Joel ordered Terry to provide him some covering fire so that he could move up to the gurney. Abraham had already volunteered to go back out and climb over the carriage and flank them from behind. They all agreed on their assignments and Terrance began shooting.

Joel quickly moved up and found himself next to Yang and Ellie who were also shooting at the bandits on the other side. "You alright girls?"

"We're fine!" Yang answered him. "We need to move him though!" She motioned to the brunette beside him, his eyes still closed.

"Fuck that! Let's just get these guys now!" Ellie shouted as she fired three more shots and dropped a body. "Get the hell off our train!"

"What's the plan now?!" Terry called from his position and he popped up from cover and fired two shots before crouching back down. Ellie and Joel looked at each other and they slightly smirked at what they were going to do: bring out a reliable pointy friend.

"Gimme a sec." Joel stated gruffly as he un-slung his backpack and began crafting. Ellie and Terry continued their onslaught of lead with the bandits on the other side.

"Alright." Ellie nodded confidently. Gunfire echoed in the boxcar, and Yang was terrified that the equipment or the other supplies would be damaged from the bullets. But her eyes widened with fear when she saw the nail bomb being constructed in Joel's hands.

"You're going to throw that?!" Yang exclaimed at him.

"Yeah." Joel understood why she was worried so he assured her. "I'll aim it at the people."

He tossed it over his head and the gurney, and it clanked and clinked as it rolled over to the other side where a couple of confused bandits got a little too close... _*BANG!* _A few men screamed and yelled as Terrance witnessed three bandits fall and another one clutch his bloodied arm. Bull's-eye. Their apprehension was quelled when they saw the last of the bandits being mowed over by the marksmen that was Abe. He had come up from behind and finished off the last two of them, putting bullets in their brains.

"That was fun." He chuckled as he holstered his gun. "That all of them?"

"Just six right?" Terrance inquired as they all stood up save for Yang who was checking Rylan once more. They looked to Joel for the answer.

He sighed. "Maybe we should do a sweep of the whole train, just to be s-!"

_*CRREEEAAAKKKKSSHHH!* _

They were all violently thrown forward as the wheels screeched beyond belief. Terry, Abe, Joel, and Ellie struggled to pick themselves up as the whole train eventually slowed to a halt. Why the hell would Bill stop the train now? They had to double back to the front just to check on him. Were the tracks compromised? Was there something in the way? "Terry, stay here and watch everybody else! Abe you're with me!"

"Joel! I'm coming with you!" Ellie stood up, readying her gun in one hand and her old switchblade in the other.

"No! It's too dangerous!" He immediately shot her down. She was pregnant, how the hell can she not be concerned with her baby? "Stay here. We'll be back soon."

Joel didn't allow anymore protests as he and the the old redhead ran to the exit of the third carriage. They slid the door open and sprinted up the second one then the first one. But that was when the big door on the side of the carriage slid across and opened up. About twenty clicks from rifles were heard from men on the still desert ground next to the tracks. One of them roared. "DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

Abraham and Joel were like deer frozen in the headlights until the order was issued again to which that was complied. They dropped their guns and the group of bandits began to advance towards the whole train. Joel then realized this whole ambush was a setup...

And then a regal new voice rang in their ears as a man with short black hair wearing a gray turtleneck sweater and a bulletproof vest, along with black pants, boots and clear blue eyes. "Salutations gentleman." And with this man he had Bill held at gunpoint with a revolver to his head. "My name is Gregory Gilroy, I believe we need to have a talk." He smiled a toothy grin at his own smugness. "I apologize about our little welcome wagon."

"Let him go!" Joel demanded even though he knew that was a useless attempt. Holy crap, it was now that Joel noticed that Mr. Gilroy only had one arm! He was missing his left one, and his right hand had the gun.

Gilroy shook his head at that. "You realize that you are in no position to make any requests? Do not be so crude."

_*BANG!*_

"GAAHH!" Bill yelped and nearly keeled over in pain as Gilroy's bullet made a hole in his foot. "Goddamn you! Son of a bitch!"

"Stop!" Joel motioned with his hand. The echo of the of the gun still keeping everyone on edge of someone else pulling the trigger. "What do you want?!"

Gilroy continued to smirk at his own feat. "Only I can be crude here if I so choose..."


	9. Sin City

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- It's been too long, too much of an injustice to you guys. I'm so so sorry that it took this long to come back to this story. But I'm back now and with some help with fellow author RIPtitanic. We're going to finish this story for sure, and complete the trilogy of The Last of Us... finally.**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: Sin City**_

"Salutations gentleman." And with this man he had Bill held at gunpoint with a revolver to his head. "My name is Gregory Gilroy, I believe we need to have a talk." He smiled a toothy grin at his own smugness. "I apologize about our little welcome wagon."

"Let him go!" Joel demanded even though he knew that was a useless attempt. Holy crap, it was now that Joel noticed that Mr. Gilroy only had one arm! He was missing his left one, and his right hand had the gun.

Gilroy shook his head at that. "You realize that you are in no position to make any requests? Do not be so crude."

_*BANG!*_

"GAAHH!" Bill yelped and nearly keeled over in pain as Gilroy's bullet made a hole in his foot. "Goddamn you! Son of a bitch!"

"Stop!" Joel motioned with his hand. The echo of the of the gunshot still keeping everyone on edge of someone else pulling the trigger. "What do you want?!"

Gilroy continued to smirk at his own feat. "Only I can be crude here if I so choose." He then pushed Bill hard enough to stumble and fall on his belly and then roll onto his side, coddling his injured foot. "Please be cooperative, it'll be easier on the both of us."

Abe then spoke up, stepping forward while his hands were still raised in surrender. "Listen man, Greg... -uh Gilroy I guess now." He stammered until he regained his composure. "You know you're sacking the holy savior of trains here right, I mean-" He looked back at Joel in support who was at a lost for words and eyeing every single rifle pointing at them right outside the stationary exposed boxcar they were in. "We're trying to save the world here, right Joel?"

Joel nodded in response, fantasizing about going Rambo on all of their asses. But he wasn't Rambo, sometimes he wished he was, but this was not a movie. Gilroy addressed them. "Abraham... save the world? Well, what about this one?" He then looked at his men and shouted at them. "WHAT ABOUT THIS WORLD?! Where we are KINGS here?!"

_*YEAH! YEAH!* HOO-RAH!* _They all cheered proudly.

"You hear that gentleman?" Gilroy declared to them. "Why would you want to tease your countrymen with false hopes of achieving the return of the Old World? We've long since abandoned that foolish ideal, too much has happened now. It is time for a new order with us at the top. To just let nature take its course, and let us take your course with us now."

"Fuck me." Abe sighed in defeat while he shrugged his shoulders and raising his hands in surrender. "We're dead, at least not yet." He said flatly.

Joel turned to him. "Whaddya mean, 'not yet'?"

"You'll find out in good time, sirs." The one-armed man stomped on Bill's body with his boot, and the overweight man grunted in pain as a result. "You hear that friend?"

"Leave'em alone." Bill begged from underneath him, coddling his bleeding foot. "Just let them leave."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I believe you all should know what comes next." Gilroy gave a glance towards Joel then ordered all of his men. "Storm the train, take everyone away, NOW!"

Abe, Bill, and Joel only watched on as dozens of men climbed on, and they were powerless to stop them now.

Meanwhile down a couple of boxcars...

Ellie cowered behind the overturned gurney, silently praying for Joel's swift return. It had been about ten minutes since he and Abe had journeyed off in search of Bill but neither of the pair had returned. Ellie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Something was wrong. She sighed.

"They should be back by now, I'm gonna go check on them." She stated, springing from her crouching position behind the gurney before feeling Terry's large hand yank her back down.

"No, you're not going anywhere. If there is a problem, I will go but I'm not letting you endanger two lives by rushing into a fight." He said, sending a pointed glance towards her stomach. Ellie mumbling something under her breath that Terry didn't quite hear but she immediately sat down with a huff and crawled over to where Rylan lay, still unconscious.

Terry smiled slightly at the sight of the small family, moments like these where what he missed most from before the outbreak. Tearing his gaze away from the young couple, he moved swiftly towards the door, his hand moving to the gun tucked into his waistband. Just as Terry reached for the handle, the door burst open and an object flew past his head, landing with a metallic clang. Terry spun around just in time to see a white vapor engulf the room. This was the last thing he remembered before everything faded to black.

...

* * *

...

Ellie woke with a start, her head throbbed and her throat scratched with every breath. She tried to push herself up into a sitting position but was overcome by a wave of nausea that forced her back onto the floor.

"Don't move, it will take a while for the affects to wear off." Yang whispered, her voice strained.

"I don't understand, what the fuck happened?" Ellie exclaimed, taking in her new surroundings. They sat in a what appeared to be a large casino vault, judging by concrete walls and huge, studded metal door with only one window set into the wall high above them covered by bulletproof glass. Straw littered the floor, indicating that the vault had been in use as a cell for quite some time. That was when Ellie suddenly realized that the pair where not alone, five other women sat at the other side of the vault, all of various ages. Ellie felt a pang in her chest as she saw one woman cradling her daughter, who must only have been about fourteen, as tears cascaded down the young girl's face. Yang saw Ellie staring at the women and cleared her throat, drawing the attention back to her.

"That bastard, Gilroy..." The Asian girl snide. "He and his goons locked us up in here. He took the guys somewhere else I think, if he hasn't already..." She trailed off, seeing the expression on Ellie's face.

"What is he gonna do to us?" Ellie mumbled, curling into the fetal position.

"I don't know, Ellie, I just don't know." Yang replied, solemnly. "But it can't be anything good."

Ellie lay on the hard ground thinking of possible ways to escape, she knew she couldn't stay there and she sure as hell wasn't going to let that pervert lay his hands on the girl opposite her. She thought back to her narrow escape from David when he had tried to... no, she wasn't going to let that happen again. She groaned as she finally managed to punch herself up into a sitting position.

"We can't stay here, Yang, we have to escape and find the guys."

"I know, Ellie, but what can we do?" Yang asked, an exasperated expression creasing her face. "It's not like we have a lot of options from in here."

"I don't know but I have to find Rylan, I have to tell him a-about..." She wavered as sobs racked her body. "I'm not ready to be a mom anyway, I'm only eighteen for fuck's sake, and there's no way I can do it without him."

"Abe stole some files before he left the Fireflies, files on all of you. I've read them and from what I can tell, Joel isn't exactly the type of person to give up without a fight and even though I've only known you and Rylan for a short time, I've seen the way he looks at you, he loves you. I have no doubt that they will do everything they can to find us and everything will work out for the best." Yang reassured her. Ellie felt anger surge through her veins.

"How do you know?! I didn't even think I'd survive this long, what if it's finally over? Don't fucking tell me that everything will be okay because you don't know shit about what's gonna happen to us!" Ellie screamed, jabbing a finger at a terrified Yang before clambering to her feet and slamming her fist against the wall in frustration.

"I-I know you're upset but you need to calm down, sudden outbursts of stress and anger are not good for your child." Yang stammered in a feeble attempt to console the red head.

"I don't care! It's not like I asked for this shit. I can barely look after myself, how the hell am I supposed to look after a kid too?" Ellie bellowed, tears falling freely down her face. She fell to her knees, resting her head on Yang's shoulder for comfort. Yang was briefly taken aback by the interaction but swiftly embraced the weeping teenager. Mood swings, she thought...

Eventually, Ellie's sobs disintegrated into quiet sniffles and finally faded completely. She quickly lifted her head from where it had been lying on Yang's shoulder, grinning in triumph.

"That's it! I know how to escape." She grinned, leaping to her feet. "Come on, if you wanna get out of here, you need to fucking do something." She whispered to her fellow prisoners, aware that making too much noise would alert the guards to her plan.

"Ellie, what the hell are you doing?" Yang questioned, astounded by the girl's immediate transformation. Ellie spun around to face her, a devilish smirk plastered on her face.

"You'll see!"

Ellie collected as much straw as possible, encouraging the others to do the same, before collecting it all into a large pile in the center of the room, exactly in the spot where the sunlight bled through the window, lighting the room.

"Right, now I need some glass. Does anyone have a bottle?" She interrogated. An awkward silence descended over the room, Ellie's smiling instantly fading.

"I have my reading glasses if that helps." Yang blurted out, conscious of all eyes in the room directed at her. Ellie beamed.

"That's perfect!" Ellie announced, grabbing the glasses from Yang and prancing over to the spot where the sun's citrus rays were most prominent. She turned her back to the window, feeling the warmth on her back. Ellie raised Yang's glasses high into the air above her head and directed the magnified beam onto the pile of dry straw, making it catch alight. Yang stared at Ellie with a look of absolute terror. What the hell was this girl trying to do? Kill everyone? Ellie raised a finger to her lips, signalling for everyone to stay silent before crouching behind the door to the vault.

"FIRE! FIRE!" She yelped, as loud as she possibly could, in an attempt to summon any guards in the vicinity. The door was flung open, revealing two guards who had evidently been guarding the vault from the outside. Ellie lunged at them, stabbing one in the neck with her switch blade before they were even aware of her presence. She tackled the other with precision, aided by the fact that he was still distracted by the body of his friend that now lay in an ever growing pool of scarlet. When both guards were finally dead, Ellie turned to the rest of the group, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Okay, that's it. C'mon, we don't have much time!" Without hesitation, the group sprinted for the exit and naturally split into their own individual groups as the scent of freedom filled their nostrils. Suddenly, one thought occurred to Yang.

"Ellie, where were you hiding that switch blade? They took all of our weapons while we were still unconscious."

Ellie just smiled "You don't want to know."

* * *

...

_*cough*_

"You awake now sleeping beauty?"

Rylan lazily opened his eye to see that Abraham was crouched down beside him, looking down at him with curiosity. The brunette gave another hearty cough and sat up, reeling in the fact that his head was throbbing like he was hit by a truck or something. "OW!" His hand jolted to the pain, only to feel that white gauze had been wrapped around his head. Rylan took in his surroundings as well. "W-what happened?"

It was then that the kid realized that him, Joel and Abe were all in some sort of small cavern of some sort, something carved out of the rock that surrounded them. Ahead was the exit which looked like a light at the end of the tunnel. Abe surprisingly offered a hand to Rylan which he took and they both stood up on their feet. "We're up shit creek without a paddle, that's what happened kid."

A few feet away from them, Joel had his back turned to face them, his front towards the light at the exit. Rylan trudged almost warily towards the old man. "Joel? The last thing I remember was you..." He paused, thinking for a second. "... you were coming at me." He felt the wound on his head heat up and tingle. "Did you do this to me?"

Joel was silent for a moment before he turned towards Abe and the one-eyed young man, ignoring the latter's inquiry. "We gotta find Ellie and the others, get on outta here before-!"

_*BLLAAAARRRRRG!*_

A loud horn-like sound erupted and echoed from outside and into the cavern they were standing in. The sound was so intense and sudden that the three men had to cover their ears, lest it deafen them. The noise partially reminded Joel of the lunch break horn from his construction and contract days back before the Cordyceps. Nevertheless, the noise was followed up with the jeers and cheers of men, presumably the ones that had blindfolded and brought them here in the first place. Chiming in, Abe told both of them. "It's time to put on a show."

"Show? Wait what?" Rylan confusedly stated as he was still at a loss of what was really going on. "Someone mind filling me in, please?"

"Ever see a movie called Gladiator, kid?" Abe asked the brunette, until he realized that Rylan wasn't even born yet when that movie came out. "Ah, never mind. They want us to fight for'em till we die."

Rylan's eyes widened and was about to say something until Joel interrupted him. "That ain't for them to decide when we die." Joel darkly stated as he stepped out into the light, ready to meet their captors. "C'mon."

Abe agreed and followed the old man, and Rylan soon after. Closer and closer, the three of them stepped out of the shadows of the cavern and out into the light where their eyes had to adjust for a moment from being in the dark. And when they took in what they saw, no other questions needed to be asked.

They were at the bottom of a quarry, where Gilroy himself and his men stood about twenty feet up on ledges that encompassed that entire area like a Colosseum. There were other caverns like the ones where the guys where, but they could just hear from inside that it was Infected, not other survivors. The arena in front of them had some discarded weapons like hatchets and bats and other melee weapons. The ground was stained with the blood of other survivors as well...

"GENTLEMAN!"

Joel, Rylan, and Abe looked up to see Gilroy on some sort of throne among the audience. "Welcome to SIN CITY where only the strongest and smartest can survive." He pumped his only arm and fist into the air and made a signal to someone that was out of their line of sight. "Release their opponents! Let the games begin!"

The three men looked on in horror as what looked like firecrackers were lit at three of the entrances. _*Click* *Click* *ROOOAAGH!* _And like lions from the den, five or so Infected hobbled out of their holes and onto the arena. "Oh shit..." Joel gasped as he instinctively searched himself for weapons, and he had none, same a the other two.

"Grab somethin' off the ground, anything!" Abraham shouted as he sprinted towards a bat with nails in it. "We gotta defend ourselves! NOW!"

"Oh my god!" Rylan cursed under his breathe as he picked up the only stray machete that was laying on the ground, and Joel grabbed a tomahawk. "We gotta stick together!"

"You think?!" Joel snarled at the boy as the three Runners and the two Clickers charged at the three of them.

The men above took pleasure in the barbaric entertainment, as did Gilroy, watching the fight happen below them. How long will they last? Any longer than the others? Gilroy roared to the crowd. "THREE ROUNDS THEY MUST SURVIVE! ROUND 1 BEGIN!"

_*ROOOOAAARGGH!*_

Abraham jumped back to avoid the clawing grasp of a Runner, and then immediately lunged forward with swinging his bat in an uppercut motion. He eviscerated the soft fungal-infested skull as it caved in from the wooden bat, but his weapon was barely holding up. One more swing like that, and it wouldn't be a bat anymore. A Clicker and a Runner decided to pincer mover around Joel, and he merely punched the Runner square in its jaw, dazing it before plunging his tomahawk deep into the Clicker's neck. He pulled his weapon back out and chopped down into the other side of the Clicker's neck, killing it instantly. But before he could finish off the Runner that was after him as well, he felt the third Runner tackle him into the ground.

"ARGH! GET OFF ME!" Joel struggled as he kept the thing's bloody snapping teeth away from any of his skin. Inches away from his neck, he felt the body on top of him go limp with a machete in his head. He pushed it off him and saw a familiar hand offered to him. "Thanks kid."

Joel took Rylan's hand as Abe finished off the last Runner, killing it with his bat, but breaking it in the process as well. This left them with one Clicker left, and Rylan took it upon himself to wrap up the round by decapitating the head. It rolled on the ground, as the crowd cheered behind them, and the sun hotly beating down on all of them from above. "That wasn't so hard."

"ROUND 2 BEGIN!"

"That was just the warm-up!" Abe barked as he joined in for the group huddle with Joel and Rylan. He picked up a stray shiv off the ground in the meantime. "Boys, we gotta stick together on this one! We can't let'em separate us!"

_*WURROOAGH!*_

The three contestants turned their heads to see a roaring Bloater stumbling towards them out from another one of the caverns. The large creature locked in on their conjoined location and tore off a piece of itself to throw a poisonous sac at them. Joel yelled. "SCATTER!"

Rylan and Joel went left, and Abe went right as the sac landed in their previous spot and exploded, sending thousands of spores into the air as a result. The Bloater howled as it began to isolate Abe and charge towards him. Rylan exclaimed. "How do we beat that thing with no guns?!"

"Gimme that!" Joel forcibly took the machete from Rylan's hands and held the tomahawk in the other. "Do you still got a lighter?"

Rylan quickly searched his pockets and then the inside the of his jacket pocket, revealed they didn't find it there. He pulled out his zippo. "Yeah why?"

"We gotta kill it with fire."

Abe was running around the arena almost comically as the audience and Gilroy laughed at his despair from above while the Bloater was still chasing him. "I don't mean to sound cynical, but this fat fuck is gonna kill me! Shit!" He was only inches away from the Bloater's reach, and it growled in frustration as a result of its elusive prey.

_*WOOARH!*_

Joel dashed towards the Bloater from behind, and quickly enough, he was able to professionally draw its attention away from the old redhead, switching off. Abe was able to meet up with Rylan struggling to light something of use. "Havin' some trouble there son?"

"It's not catching-!" Rylan was interrupted when Abe took the sharp makeshift crafted torch and pulled out his personal flask. He dumped the alcoholic liquid on the end and Rylan quickly lit, now ablaze.

"You owe me a drink." Abe smirked as he turned heel and headed towards the Bloater and Joel. "Hey ugly!" Abe was almost point blank when the giant Infected turned its attention away from Joel. "Taste this!"

Abraham stabbed the torch into the Bloater's only weak spot around it's fungal armor-like plates: it's mouth. With the Bloater's weight lunging forward and Abe's strength pushing back, the torch went out the back of its head and the fire began to burn and damage it finally. It roared in agony and flailed like an animal, but one swing of it's arm and Abe was knocked upside the head and his body slid in the dirt a few feet now unconscious.

Joel acknowledged that now was his window he had to attack now! Joel sprinted towards the flaming Bloater and delivered the finishing blow: from behind, its fungal skull plating was brittle enough from the fire for the machete and the tomahawk to cleave through into its brain, finally bringing the beast down and Joel stepping back before the fire had burned him too.

Rylan wiped his brow and gave a thumbs up to Joel to which the old man simply acknowledged with a nod. The crowd above them remained silent as only Gilroy stood up and addressed. "No one has ever made it past Round 2... I'd give you an applause but I'm a afraid you'll have to suffice with my one hand clapping." His men murmured among them, curious as to what their boss will do next.

"Where's our people!?" Joel demanded through gritted teeth. "Where'd you take'em?!"

Gilroy chided him. "Make it past Round 3, and you win. I'll escort you to them myself."

"Then bring on!" Rylan put up a guise of confidence, his head was still killing him. He wanted to get back Ellie just as much as Joel. What could be tougher than a Bloater?

"Joel, if I'm not mistaken?" The old man gave him no response. "Turn around, and face your opponent for Round 3 then."

Joel was expecting maybe a Gladiator or Champion of his own men, another Bloater, or another round of Clickers. But no, when Joel turned around only the bandaged Rylan stood there, confused for a moment to what the one-armed man said, but nevertheless figured it out when he locked eyes with Joel.

"A fight to the death. Kill the boy and you can go free with the others. Or let him kill you, it doesn't really matter." He smugly smirked as he shrugged his shoulders. "Or..." He made a hand gesture to two guards on either side of him to raise their guns. "...You'll be shot, and we will keep your women."

"No..." Joel looked at Rylan and then at the weapons in his hands. "NO!" He threw them on the ground into the dirt. "Son of a bitch, I will kill you before you lay a finger on'em!"

"Fuckin' prick! You can't make us do this!" Rylan followed up with some words of his own.

Gilroy yawned. "I can and I will. And if you don't cooperate I'll be sure to whisper into your girl's ear how both of your bodies were riddled bullets. And then I shall ravish her..." He sighed pleasurably. "Now fight you plebs!"

The very thought struck them both to their very core. Joel visually shook and shivered while he looked down at his own hands, examining them like they were new tools to him. Rylan was in despair, in an impossible situation. "Joel, what do we-! OOF!"

Joel had elbowed Rylan right in the face. The blow was so quick and so sudden that the boy didn't know what hit him until he landed on his back, his nose bleeding now. The crowd began to cheer again and egg on the new conflict, praising their leader for the entertainment. "Get up boy..."

Rylan opened his eyes to see a dark figure over him, holding a tomahawk. Joel just stood there as Rylan grabbed the machete off the ground again and defended himself. "Joel. It's me Rylan, look we don't have to do this."

"We don't a choice Rylan." The old man was avoiding the young one's gaze. "...Like it or not, it's you or me." He flared his nostrils and gritted his teeth. "Keeping Ellie safe... I trust myself more than than I trust you."

But Rylan shook his head, fighting the emotions that were inside him. "You won't kill me, we've been through way too much together!"

Joel sighed, as he raised his weapon. "...It's the way it's gotta be."

"No, Joel! Hold on!"

Gilroy announced the commencement. "ROUND 3 BEGIN!" And Joel charged at Rylan with intent in his eyes.

* * *

**A/N- It's back folks! Now what do you think everyone? Will Joel actually kill Rylan? Can Ellie and Yang find them in time? And where are Bill and Terry at? Submit your theories and await the continuation. :) Stay tuned!**


	10. The Rift Is Made

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- Thanks for the support guys, glad to see you're all still with us. (I can just feel the love you all have for Rylan right here ;) Nah Just kidding) One more thing, check out RIPtitanic's stories, been a big help with this too.**

* * *

**_Chapter 10: The Rift Is Made_**

Terry couldn't believe his luck, or at least lack thereof, as he and Bill were wrestled into what would have originally been the train's dining car. They were already way behind schedule as it was but now some one-armed nutcase was holding them hostage on their own train for fuck's sake!

Terry struggled with his bonds only to experience excruciating pain as the rope dug further and further into his skin, refusing to relent. He sighed, glancing over at the semi-conscious Bill.

"Pst. Pst...Bill?" He whispered, knowing that there was absolutely no way in Hell Gilroy would have left them unguarded. Bill let out a pained groan, letting Terry know he was listening.

"What?"

"We need to get out of here. If I can get out of these ropes, I can take down the guards."

Bill grunted, apparently lapsing back into his subconscious. Terry rolled his eyes. Looks like it's just me then, he thought. His eyes flickered back and forth, searching the room for anything he could use to escape. A glint of silver caught his eye. A steak knife. Terry flopped onto his stomach, dragging himself across the floor on account of his hands and feet being bound tightly together. Just as he was about to reach for the knife, the door of the car was kicked open. The guard sauntered into the room, briefly casting his eyes on the snoring Bill before noticing Terry huddled in the corner of the room.

"Ah, so what? You thought you could try and escape? I don't think so." The guard chuckled to himself.

"My muscles were getting stiff from sitting in the same way for so long, I wanted to stretch." Terry replied darkly, staring into the eyes of the one man that currently stood between him and freedom.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" The guard laughed again, swaggering over to Terry and grabbing him under the arm before hauling him to his feet.

"Not really, I just needed you to come over here!" Terry snarled, as in one fluent motion he plunged the steak knife into the young guard's chest. The man screamed, slumping to the floor, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth while his shirt already glistened with it.

"Y-you tricked me!" He uttered before the life drained from his blue eyes. No matter how many times Terry had had to do that, he knew it would never get any easier. Especially when thinking about the life that kid could have led, the family he could have had if only the group could get this blasted train to its destination, if they could find the cure. Terry knew this feeling well, it happened every time he took another life. Survivor's guilt. Another face that would loom out of the darkness at him while he slept. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Terrance tore his eyes away from the lifeless body, scrambling over to Bill.

"Bill, the guard is down, I've got to go and find the others." he muttered, gently shaking his sleeping companion back into consciousness.

"Huh? What? Where are the rest of the guards?" Bill questioned, his voice hoarse.

"I think Gilroy only left this one, if I'm lucky the rest of 'The Imperial Fleet' are off somewhere else." Terry grinned at his own Star Wars joke, he missed that saga so much.

" Well I ain't letting you go by yourself." Bill stated as he tried to pull himself up onto his feet but sank back to the floor with a growl as the pain engulfed him once more.

"I'm sorry, Bill, but you'll just slow me down." He peered down at his bloodied foot still fresh from when Gilroy shot him earlier. "You can't run on that foot yet."

"Fine, but be careful, we don't know what this bastard is capable of..."

"I think we got a pretty good idea man." Terry smiled triumphantly nevertheless though, sprinting out of the dining car and jumping off the train. He strained his ears, his hearing well adapted after twenty-four years of living through this hell. What was it Ellie said? Endure and survive? Something like that, he was sure of it. As he listening, he heard the bellowing and screaming of what sounded like hundreds of men coming for nearby. Terry dashed in that direction, not seeing the other figure cross his path until it was too late and the pair collided, tumbling to the ground.

"Ah, fuck!" A female voice piped up. Terry looked up, catching a glimpse of auburn hair and vivid green eyes.

"Ellie! Are you okay?" He asked, pulling her to her feet.

"Yeah, I guess. Have you seen Joel and Rylan?" She panted, dusting herself off.

"No, I thought they were with you?"

"E-Ellie, s-slow down." The pair span around to see Yang jogging towards them, evidently struggling to keep up with Ellie's fast pace.

"Oops...sorry, Yang." Ellie smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, so none of us have seen Rylan, Joel or Abe?" Terry groaned, the exhaustion of the day setting in to his already aching muscles.

"No but I think we can guess where they are." Yang replied, gesturing in the direction of the ear splitting roar.

Terrance approached the Asian girl with a plan in mind. "Bill's going to need some help, he's back at the train." He pointed behind him. "Fix up his foot if you can and get the steam rolling."

Ellie nodded in agreement. "He's right, we gotta make a fast fucking getaway from here." Ellie knew looked out towards the desert and wished that the other women from the vault had followed them. But they were gone before she could promise them sanctuary away from this city. She sighed a sad sigh.

"Then pick up the boys and make it snappy!" Yang shouted as she sprinted towards the direction of the train, not wanting to waste a second. Terry turned to Ellie, giving her a confiant stare now. Telling her to go back now would be futile, what with both Rylan and Joel's lives on the line as well as Abe's.

"You ready?"

She clenched her fists. "Let's go!"

* * *

Rylan opened his eyes to see a dark figure over him, holding a tomahawk. Joel just stood there as Rylan grabbed the machete off the ground again and defended himself. "Joel. It's me Rylan, look we don't have to do this."

"We don't have a choice Rylan." The old man was avoiding the young one's gaze. "...Like it or not, it's you or me." He flared his nostrils and gritted his teeth. "Keeping Ellie safe... I trust myself more than than I trust you."

But Rylan shook his head, fighting the emotions that were inside him. "You won't kill me, we've been through way too much together!"

Joel sighed, as he raised his weapon. "...It's the way it's gotta be."

"No, Joel! Hold on!"

Gilroy announced the commencement. "ROUND 3 BEGIN!" And Joel charged at Rylan with intent in his eyes. "Now this is an interesting turn of events!"

"C'mon boy!" Joel exclaimed as he swung his tomahawk laterally, forcing Rylan to take a step back and raise his blade. "Show me you're man enough!"

The young man gritted his teeth in response, and he tighten his grip on the machete. "Goddamnit Joel! I am NOT trying to take her away from you!"

Joel was on the offensive, and Rylan was on the defensive, avoiding and evading any blows or attacks that the old man had in store for him. He may not be as strong as Joel, but he was slightly quicker, and his reflexes weren't as dull. Circling and each other and keeping their sights on one another at all times, the two opponents were both on edge, just daring to attack the other.

The crowd's chants and cheers were declining, neither of them had landed a faithful blow yet, but truth be told, Joel was studying Rylan's stance the way he fought, and how to plan his next move. He had farther reach than with his weapon, so the only solution to this was to get up close and personal. Joel placed his tomahawk through his belt loop and balled up his meaty fists, like a bull getting ready to charge. ...And he did.

Rylan's eyes widened and he gasped when he was met with Joel only a couple feet in front of him. Upon only reflex, he swung his machete down, but Joel stopped the blade only inches from his shoulder by grasping the handle where Rylan's hands were. "Joel... stop-"

To add more insult to injury, Joel had head-butted Rylan in the face forcing more blood out of his nose, and forcing him to release the machete and fall to the ground and onto his back. "You can't fight for shit..." His nostrils flared down at him, and his voice dripped with anger. "Shoulda been you under that rock instead of Tommy!"

The adrenaline had finally hit both of their brains now, survival instincts fully turned on now. Rylan despised the thoughts that were being enthralled in his mind, but in this case, he acted upon them. Feigning weakness, Rylan looked away from Joel only for a moment so that he could grab a handful of dirt and throw it in Joel's face.

_*cough* *cough* _In his eyes and mouth, Joel was blinded by the dirt that got into his eyes and he had to force them shut. In darkness now, he swung the machete blindly in front of him, hoping to hit something, but by the time he could peek his eyelids open, he felt the weight of the young man's body tackle him from behind, and the force was enough to knock him on his belly and drop the machete. _Shit!_

"Don't you DARE blame me for what happened to Tommy!" He heard him say from on top of his back. "Don't you fucking put that on me Joel! What happened to your brother was an accident!"

"Get off of me!" Joel barked as he felt Rylan pin him to the ground and wrap his arm in a sleeper's hold. "Get off now!"

Rylan then got closer so that he could stealthily whisper something into the old man's ear. "Just play dead, okay? I have a pl-!"

But the one-eyed brunette was just short when the bearded man beneath him was able to grab his neck with his burly fist, it being so close because he was trying to relay a message. Joel pulled with all of his might until Rylan's bloody face was forced into the ground, and Joel had enough room to push himself off the ground and flip them both over now.

Rylan was on the bottom now, and Joel was on top now. The old man flipped himself around and got up on his own two feet. He delivered a hard kick into the brunette's ribs, and the result was that Rylan groaned in pain and turned right back on his back. His face was caked in dirt from the ground and blood from his own face, and he probably had a couple of ribs cracked now. "Y-you..." He weakly stated as most of his face was pretty numb now. "...J-joel, Ellie... Ellie wouldn't want this..."

Joel wiped away the remaining dirt from his face, now his vision was clean as he un-holstered the tomahawk from his belt loop. He looked down at the boy he was supposed to kill, he thought about how he just came into their lives and _made _Ellie fall 'in love' with him, and how he was 'immune' as well. It infuriated it!

And Joel used the fury to carry out the deed. The crowd above him cheered, they wanted to see blood, as did Gilroy who was smiling wickedly from his throne. The old man raised the tomahawk like an execution's ax, and he saw Rylan's body shift...

Everything seemed to slow... everything felt... so... slow.

Joel's tomahawk was descending to dive into Rylan neck or chest or wherever it would land, but Joel was stunned to see Rylan reveal that the machete was _underneath _his body and held in his right hand. The one-eyed brunette swung upward and collided with the tomahawk's blade with his own. The longer weapon then slid down the hand for the steel to be met by Joel's fingers, and with how sharp it still was...

...it was like cutting through butter.

"AHHH!" Joel reeled back and coddled his bleeding right hand, switching his weapon over to his left hand now. Thank God that the clean part of the blade had cut him and not the part where the Infected where cleaved with. Joel examined the damage and saw that his right ring finger was mangled, but his pinky finger was just _gone._ "Son of a-!"

It felt like his hand was on fire as his blood drops had landed and mixed in with the dirt as well. Now the two of them had both spilled one another's blood...

"You wouldn't listen to me." Rylan simply stated as he pulled himself up until he was only on one knee. "Sorry... you'll live though Joel, I wouldn't have." He breathed heavily now as he stood back on his feet still wielding his machete.

Joel attempted to find his finger somewhere on the ground around them, but at first glance he couldn't see it anywhere. "Jesus..." This hurt.

Rylan let out a loud sigh and took a small step forward. "Well?" He continued to pant heavily. "Are you still going to kill me?"

The bearded man continued to coddle his loss finger in front of the boy who committed the deed. He decided to answer his question with another question, and he was just already getting tired. "Tch... have you ever heard of a condom boy?" He breathed out.

"Wait, what...?" Rylan's eyebrow rose. "What did you just say?"

Joel was about to clarify and tell the truth, but he was loudly overwhelmed by the increasing volume of the crowd above them. Their jeering and the heckling continued, bored that the two opponent were now just standing there just talking. Joel's words were only drowned out as Gilroy's voice boomed over the others. "Who said you could stop?! A riveting match you have given us thus far, but our appetite for entertainment is not yet quenched!" The regal one-armed man stood up from his throne and walked toward the edge of the cliff he was on. He pointed at them. "Carry on chaps, unless you both want to die? I'm really not that picky!"

The injuries that Rylan and Joel inflected upon each other were stinging and paining them to a degree. They've both been through worse, however this wasn't a walk in the park for them. But it took this much for them to come to their senses, now looking one another in the eye. Joel raised his left hand with the tomahawk, albeit he was raising it much more slowly now. Rylan's eyes couldn't believe that Joel wanted to keep on fighting. "Joel...?"

"NO!" From the top of the quarry, past the men and guards where everything could be seen up there, stood Ellie, along with Terrance.

"Ellie...?" Both Rylan and Joel stared up at her like she was the foothold back to their normal reality where they weren't forced to kill one another.

" 'Bout time, thank you." Abe stated politely as he took the tomahawk out of Joel's hand from behind, he apparently just woken up from being knocked out only moments ago. And now he wielded the weapon as he faced towards the leader of their captors. "Hey Gilroy!" Abe with all of his might threw the tomahawk right at him. "I _axing_ for us to leave!"

Suppose Ellie's sense of humor is genetic...

The one-armed man didn't even realize it at first when the hatchet embedded itself deep into his chest. Gilroy looked down and his eyes widened upon examining the sudden fatal injury. He looked back up to address his men. "K-kill'em..." He barely completed the command as his body succumbed to this blow and his body fell forward.

Everyone watched as Gilroy's corpse slammed onto the arena floor, the tomahawk still in his chest. The man was dead...

And his men roared with frustration as they all began to arm themselves with their guns. Terrance however got the jump on them and opened fire from above as did Ellie. Bullets went flying, but with them on the high ground, the gunfire was drawn away from the three contestants in the arena. Abe, Joel, and Rylan expertly moved up and put their backs to the wall, trying to find a way to climb out.

"Gotta be a rope or something!" Abe shouted over the weapons going off around them.

Rylan looked up. "There should be a rope up there to toss down."

"Ugh, god..." Joel cringed as he wrapped his finger in some gauze that he luckily found in his back pocket. It'll stop the bleeding, but it still hurt like a son of a bitch. "Abe, make a foothold to get the kid up there. He can reach it."

Rylan's eyebrow quirked in surprise. The hostility between him and the bearded man seems to have faded away with this developing conflict, but he still felt wary towards him. "Um Joel, sorry about the finger-!"

"WE WILL DEAL WITH THIS LATER!" Joel roared as he made a gesture with his un-bandaged hand and pointed to Abe. "Get on going, now!"

Rylan flinched at his words and physically reared back in reaction. That intensity, that anger he saw in his eyes, Rylan really believed Joel was going to kill him...

And now...

The brunette stayed silent as he brushed past the old man and approached Abe. They didn't waste any time hoisting Rylan high enough to grab the ledge which led to where the audience sat. The young man remembered that there were about a dozen or so bandits that sat with Gilroy, so there odds weren't very good.

Rylan peeked his head over and got his arms up, he just had to push the rope down and-!

"GAH!"

The one-eyed boy had heard the last sound he ever wanted to hear. He watched Terrance continue his assault on Gilroy's men, but right beside him... Ellie lay next to him behind some rocks, her left side _covered _in blood!

He blurted out towards her. "ELLIE!"

* * *

**A/N- With Gilroy dead but a group of his bandits standing between them and escape, will everyone escape alive? Could the life of Ellie's baby be in danger, or even Ellie herself? Will the deep divide between Rylan and Joel ever be mended? Stay tuned next time! :)**


	11. Vamoose Vegas

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Vamoose From Vegas**_

"WE WILL DEAL WITH THIS LATER!" Joel roared as he made a gesture with his un-bandaged hand and pointed to Abe. "Get on going, now!"

Rylan flinched at his words and physically reared back in reaction. That intensity, that anger he saw in his eyes, Rylan really believed Joel was going to kill him...

And now...

The brunette stayed silent as he brushed past the old man and approached Abe. They didn't waste any time hoisting Rylan high enough to grab the ledge which led to where the audience sat. The young man remembered that there were about a dozen or so bandits that sat with Gilroy, so there odds weren't very good.

Rylan peeked his head over and got his arms up, he just had to push the rope down and-!

"GAH!"

The one-eyed boy had heard the last sound he ever wanted to hear. He watched Terrance continue his assault on Gilroy's men, but right beside him... Ellie lay next to him behind some rocks, her left side _covered _in blood!

He blurted out towards her. "ELLIE!" Rylan swung his leg over and rolled himself up. "Oh my god!" He then looked at the rope that lay curled up and tied to the edge, and he immediately pushed it over so that Abraham and Joel could climb up as well.

A couple of Gilroy's men spotted the young man and decided to open fire. Bullets whizzing by, Rylan took cover behind some rocks as dust flied from the impacts of their guns. The brunette peaked up just enough to count out the hostiles around them.

"Six... seven..." He whispered to himself as his eyes passed over the bandits that were already dead. "Eight." There were eight of them between him and Ellie. He needed a weapon, he had dropped the machete he had earlier to take cover for the wall and-!

The young man was startled when he felt the very same machete clang by his feet, tossed up by either Joel or Abe. Also to take note were the weapons of the dead corpses around them. Certainly they had enough ammo on them to sustain and win this fight as well. Rylan was met by Abraham who let out a loud grunt and joined him by the rocks. The old redhead grumbled to him. "You good, kid?"

He shook his head. "No, I think Ellie's been shot up there."

_*BANG!*_

The shotgun shell had hit the rock mere inches from both of their heads, nearly deafening them both. "Come on assholes! You think you can hide there?!" One of the bandits taunted them.

Abraham grabbed hold of the machete in front of them and motioned for Rylan to come a little closer so he could whisper to him. "Draw his fire away from here, Imma take care of this bozo."

"I'll get fucking shot!" Rylan refuted.

"We'll get fucking shot if we do nothin'!" Abe growled and pointed upwards and couple of feet adjacent to them. "There's a body up there, grab his gun."

"Okay but if I do that, I'll keep going towards Ellie, can you two handle the rest?"

_*BANG!*_

The bandit barked yet again. "I got you! You ain't going anywhere!"

Abe nodded confidently, pushing back his laid back and crude attitude for the sake of the situation. "Trust me kid, I've been doing this for a while. NOW GO!"

No more questions were asked as Rylan bolted from the side, out of cover, and the bandit immediately locked onto him, his barrel aimed at the boy's back and about to pull the trigger. "Found you... GAH-!"

Before he could carry out the action, Abraham climbed up on the rock and leaped from above with his machete raised landing on the bandit beneath him and cleaving his neck off almost halfway with the blade. Blood splattered the old redhead's face as he released his weapon from his victim's body and took the shotgun from his limp hands. "You up yet Joel!?"

Taking his time up the rope, Joel made it out of the main arena and into the stands like everyone else. He had the same blood-soaked hatchet in his hand, which means he must have pulled it out of Gilroy's body down there. "Ellie..." His eyes widened when far off he could see the young redhead in distress up by Terrance. They were so close...

"Here!" Abe shouted as he tossed Joel the shotgun, while Abe had somehow gotten his own personal pistol. He must have found it off the dude he just killed. "You think this place could use a new coat of paint, I was thinking red?"

Joel caught and pumped the shotgun, ready to fight nevertheless the quips. "Red sounds good."

Nearby, Rylan dive-rolled behind another rock and reached out and grabbed a pistol off a fallen bandit, he checked for ammo. "Full clip..." He whispered as he look over his shoulder to see Joel and Abraham beginning to clean house with four of the bandits. "Gotta move!"

The one-eyed boy pushed off from cover again and was immediately met by another hostile. Rylan aimed his weapon and fired, shooting him twice in the chest. He moved up only to get caught in a crossfire from the last two bandits on his side. He dived to the ground, feeling the wind on these bullets near his arms.

"You'll fuckin' pay for this!" He heard a bandit cry. "You'll fucking pay!" Around a rock, one of them revealed themselves and aimed their hunting rifle right at him. _*click* _His chamber was empty. "Shit! Shit!" The bandit struggled to put a bullet in the slide of the rifle, only to be brought down as Rylan shot him twice in the chest and then once in the head.

_*THUMP!*_

The young man felt the kick of the last bandit into his back. The brunette yelped and reeled back from the blow. "You're dead you little-!" His sentence was cut off as a bullet whizzed in and out through his skull his body collapsing on top of Rylan.

After a moment of getting his bearings, Rylan pushed the dead body off of him, and he crawled over and grabbed hold of his pistol and the rifle now, strapping it onto his back, along with taking some ammo. "You alright? Come on champ!"

Rylan looked up to see Terrance offer a large hand to help him up. He gratefully took it and got on his feet, with the amount of gunfire ceasing. Terry must have been the one to save Rylan's life from that last bandit. "Thanks for the save."

"Thank me when we get back to the train." He grunted as he motioned him to follow him back to where Ellie was.

Back over with Joel and Abraham they were facing off with the last four bandits in the quarry here. They had to take them out as soon as possible before any more reinforcements show up. Joel and Abe hidden behind separate rocks decided to silently plan among one other. Abe would draw their fire, providing cover, while Joel flanked them and decimate with his shotgun.

Abe shot up and fired off three or four bullets, while two of the bandits returned fire. Joel whirled around his boulder and moved up on his own, immediately shoot a buckshot and killing one of his opponent.

"One less to worry about." Abe stated as he clipped one of his targets twice in the neck.

Two left, Joel scanned his surroundings and saw one of the bandits behind the cover Abe was firing at, where was the other one-?!

"Gotcha motherfucker!" Joel felt the tackle from his left side, opposite to where he was looking at, and the man sent them both to the ground. Seemingly unarmed, or perhaps out of ammo himself, the bandit tried to wrestle the shotgun away from Joel as he straddled him. Gritting his teeth and holding on with all of his might, Joel kept the barrel positioned sideways and pointed away from either of them. The bandit noticed this and decided to press down on the shotgun so that he could choke Joel with it. "Fuckin' die alrea-!"

_*BANG!*_

The gun suddenly went off between them more so upward, temporarily deafening them both, but one more so than the other. Covering his ears in response because of the high pitch screech of the buckshot, Joel used the butt of the gun to bash the guy in the nose, knocking him back. The bearded man then got on his knees and then pulled out the hatchet in his belt, swinging in an uppercut motion, he slit the man throat rather sloppily. But still, the bandit's neck spurted forth like a fountain and his face became white as a sheet. "That ain't for you to decide..."

The last of the gunshots were from Abe as he downed the final bandit in the area with a solemn head-shot. The old redhead clicked his tongue and holstered his weapon. He turned to Joel. "We make a good team."

"We're both still alive." Joel simply responded as he looked up and worry etched into his face almost instantaneously. "Ellie..." Joel made a mad dash towards the others, with Abraham right at his heels. About thirty seconds later, the two old men came upon a grave sight. Terry stood over Rylan who's crouched over Ellie, holding and putting pressure on a wound on her arm, her entire left sleeve was soaked in blood, and the young girl's eyes were fluttering as if she were in a daze. "Oh Jesus Christ... no."

"We have to get her back." Terry exclaimed shaking his head. "We gotta get her back to the train, she's loosing too much blood."

"How did this happen?!" Joel demanded to know from anyone. "Why did she come here for us if she knew her condition?!"

Rylan momentarily confused about the 'condition' and instead diagnosed her wound. "Oh god... Ellie, she must have nicked an artery in her arm!" Rylan grunted as he picked up his girlfriend bridal style and motioned for everyone to follow. "We have to go now!" Urgency most evident in his voice.

"Fucking A we do!" Abraham quickly looked around, searching for any more bandits in the quarry. "Let' vamoose Vegas and get our girl outta here!"

Joel wholeheartedly agreed and led the way. "Come on!"

And they all filed out of the arena.

* * *

Rylan had never ran so hard in his life, not even when he had to escape from clickers or Fireflies...or even Devlin but he had to do this, he had to save Ellie. There was no questioning that. His muscles burned and his legs ached but he didn't care. Rylan clutched Ellie to his chest, gently but firm as if he were holding a newborn baby. Joel flanked him on his right with Abe on his left as Terry covered them all from behind. There it was. The train, speeding along the track towards them. Rylan watched as one of the carriage doors opened and Yang's head peered out from it before finally making contact with the group.

"We can't slow down, it's too dangerous. You're going to have to jump!" She yelled over the clatter of the train wheels on the rusted track. Rylan sped up, he had to get Ellie on that train, already the blood on her shirt had covered her entire torso. Suddenly a tremendous bang echoed around the valley and Rylan had to glance around to pinpoint the location of the shooter. That wasn't hard, as Joel, Terry and Abe had already stopped and were firing back at the stampede of hunters that now surged towards them brandishing a various array of weapons from make-shift spears to AK-47s. Joel spun around, turning to Rylan as Terry and Abe covered him.

"Kid, get goin', we'll catch you up! Just keep her safe!" Joel shouted over the deafening roar of gunfire and the war cries of over fifty hunters. Rylan nodded slightly before taking off again in the direction of the train, he had already lost precious seconds and if he didn't reach the train time Ellie would die and that would mean he would to, he would happily kill himself if it meant that he could be with her...that is, if Joel didn't murder him first. Finally, Rylan drew level with the train and desperately sprinted to Yang, holding Ellie up high for the girl to take. Yang carefully took Ellie and hurried back into the train as Rylan tried to plot his jump. He had to time his jump perfectly or he would miss the open door and possibly lose Ellie forever. He saw his opportunity in the form of a large mount of dirt that stuck up next to the track that would give him enough leverage to get him onto the train. He pumped his legs at top speed, bounding onto the dirt heap and leapt through the air towards the moving train but he already knew he hadn't put enough energy into it and could clearly se that as he flew through the air towards the track. He was going to miss the open door and probably get hit by a train in the process. Shit. Rylan took a deep breath and closed his eyes, waiting for oblivion but it never came, instead he felt a rough hand grab him by the back of his jacket and pull him quickly on board. Rylan gasped, allowing his eyes to fly open to see a concerned Bill staring back at him.

"Holy shit, kid, I thought we'd lost you there. Do you have a fuckin' suicide wish?" Bill growled, glaring at the teen.

"I didn't have a choice, I couldn't leave Ellie in that condition!" Rylan replied angrily, clambering to his feet.

"So you do know then?" Bill asked curiously.

"Do I know that my girlfriend has been shot?! Yeah, I had noticed!" Rylan snarled before shoving passed Bill and storming off towards Yang's lab.

Eventually arriving at the lab in the third boxcar, Rylan hurried inside to see Yang bent over a shirtless Ellie, staring at her arm.

"How is she?" Rylan questioned, sorrow and desperation growing in his voice.

"She was lucky, the shooter didn't get it clear shot. The bullet didn't go in too far and missed any major arteries, most of the blood on her shirt mustn't have actually been her's...both her and the fetus will be absolutely fine" Yang grinned triumphantly.

His theory debunked, now he questioned hers. "Her and the what will be perfectly fine?" Rylan interrogated, baffled at what the hell Yang was even talking about.

"The fetus" Yang replied, still smiling before it suddenly drained from her face.

"Fetus? You mean like a baby? But Ellie's not...Ellie's not..." Rylan mumbled, trying to process all of this new information. Suddenly, it all made sense, the mood swings, the increased appetite, the puking. How had he been so dumb? He had seen it before in Jackson. He didn't understand how this could happen, well he knew how it happened obviously but he and Ellie had been so careful, they both knew the consequences of their actions but Rylan never thought that it would actually happen. He wasn't ready to be a dad. His top priorities for the last three years had been himself and Ellie and that had been hard enough without a baby thrown into the mix. Did Ellie know? Was that why Joel had tried to kill him? Rylan just didn't know anymore. He gasped for air, feeling as if the walls were closing in on him, coming to pull him into the abyss. Rylan dashed out of the medical car, searching for anywhere he could go to get outside. Eventually, he opted for the small platform that hung on the back of the train, it wasn't ideal but it would have to do. He imagined a time before the outbreak where he would be a freshman in college and Ellie would be a senior in high school, Joel had told him once that he had had Sarah in high school and that it certainly wasn't easy but the more Rylan thought about it, the more he wished he could do the same thing, it would be easier than raising a kid in this hell anyway. Rylan felt the tears flood down his face but made no effort to wipe them away.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He screamed at the silent wilderness that zoomed passed him, it slightly reminded him of the cliff that he and Ellie had first met on. Rylan was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt someone sink down beside him.

"Well, we lost Terry, Abe and Joel..." Bill sighed, pulling off his boot to massage his bandaged foot. Rylan gasped, presuming the worst. "Don't worry, they're probably okay but they didn't make it to the train and we couldn't stop for them." Bill continued. "So, uh, I guess you know about Ellie's other 'condition' now, huh?" Bill asked, looking over at the young man whose life had been turned completely upside down in just a matter of minutes. Rylan just nodded slightly.

"Well, Yang told me to let you know that she's awake now if you wanna go talk to her." Bill mentioned, nudging the boy gently with his elbow. Rylan slowly climbed to his feet and again headed toward Yang's lab.

This time, he stopped short at the door, raising a hand hesitantly before rapping lightly on the hard wooden door.

"Yeah?" Ellie's voice rang out from the other side. Rylan cautiously opened the door, sliding inside.

"Hey..." He muttered, not making eye contact with the woman he thought he knew so well.

"Rylan! Are you okay? It fucking scared me when I woke up and you weren't here." Her voice was filled with concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his voice stern.

"W-what?" Ellie's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Did he know?

"About the baby. Our baby." He said, making eye contact with her for the first time. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? Don't I have the right to know? I mean I am its father for fuck's sake!" His voice grew louder with every word, filled with anger and hurt.

"I wanted to, I did, but I was fucking scared. I was shitting myself that if I told you, you would leave..." Ellie sobbed. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise. I was just so scared." Ellie looked like she wanted to continue but couldn't bring herself to do it.

Rylan's expression softened. "Ellie, I would never leave you. Together we can figure this out, I know we can." He smiled before kissing her.

And then he looked at her. "And the first thing to do is tell Bill to stop and wait for those muscle-bound dudes. Don't worry."

* * *

**A/N- Hey guys, honest question. The few guys who review this story, why do you want Rylan to die? I'm curious. so I implore you to tell me. Tell me in your review! Well, will the others meet up with the train soon? Find out next time! :)**


	12. Death Valley Part 1

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

* * *

**A/N- I'm happy to see that Rylan has got some fans too. And to the people who want to see him die, you are entitled to your own opinions, it's fine. This story is far from being over yet anyway. So I hope you ALL enjoy the coming chapters.**

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Death Valley**_

"Kid, get goin', we'll catch you up! Just keep her safe!" Joel shouted over the deafening roar of gunfire and the war cries of over fifty hunters. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rylan sprint towards the train with Ellie in his arms.

Intent on giving them some cover, Joel lined up his shot and fired, the hunter he had just shot already lying dead, blood still oozing from the circular hole in his forehead. Suddenly, Joel felt a strong pairs of arms close tightly around his neck, crushing his windpipe. Joel struggled, desperately trying to fight off his attacker but to no avail, already his vision was becoming blurred and dotted with what he liked to call 'fireflies', the little white dots that affect vision when a person is about to pass out, in high school Joel had once read that they were the white blood cells in the eyes but that piece of trivia wasn't exactly going to help him now.

His lungs ached as he tried everything to escape the firm grasp and just when all hope seemed lost, the pressure released and Joel fell to the floor, gulping in precious oxygen. He looked around to see his assailant lying face down in the dust with a large machete protruding from his back as Abe stood over him, a look of hatred masking his features. Abe offered his hand out to Joel and heaving him to his feet.

"Thanks, for a second there I thought my luck had finally run out." Joel admitted, nodding in gratitude.

"Not on my watch, I still owe you for all you've done for my daughter." Abe chuckled, clapping Joel on the back. At that moment, Terry galloped over to the pair with a strong look of determination written on his features.

"Guys, we're never gonna be able to fight all of these guys off but I think I've found a way out of here!" He stated with a note of desperation in his voice. Not sparing another second, the group sprinted through the crowd of hunters, ducking shots, blocking blows and taking down anyone that stood in their way. Terry led them to a nearby field where they found a small cluster of horses tethered to an rusted, overturned tractor.

"I guess this is where they keep the horses when they don't need 'em." Joel whistled as he approached the nearest one, stroking its muscular neck.

"Ah, Joel, I know you like to be sentimental about the old days back in Texas with your horse, but can you do that later...we do actually need to get outta here," Abe reminded him, conscious that they could be discovered at any moment.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Joel sighed before heaving himself onto the horse, clasping at its sleek, grey mane and digging his heals into its sides.

"Com' on, we've got a train to catch."

* * *

This time, he stopped short at the door, raising a hand hesitantly before rapping lightly on the hard wooden door.

"Yeah?" Ellie's voice rang out from the other side. Rylan cautiously opened the door, sliding inside.

"Hey..." He muttered, not making eye contact with the woman he thought he knew so well.

"Rylan! Are you okay? It fucking scared me when I woke up and you weren't here." Her voice was filled with concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his voice stern.

"W-what?" Ellie's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Did he know?

"About the baby. Our baby." He said, making eye contact with her for the first time. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? Don't I have the right to know? I mean I am its father for fuck's sake!" His voice grew louder with every word, filled with anger and hurt.

"I wanted to, I did, but I was fucking scared. I was shitting myself that if I told you, you would leave..." Ellie sobbed. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise. I was just so scared." Ellie looked like she wanted to continue but couldn't bring herself to do it.

Rylan's expression softened. "Ellie, I would never leave you. Together we can figure this out, I know we can." He smiled before kissing her.

And then he looked at her. "And the first thing to do is tell Bill to stop the train and wait for the Joel and them. Don't worry."

Yang from the other side of the boxcar let herself in from the front. Her face was one that was laced with concerned. "Agreed. Bill knows just as much as the rest of us that we're much more stronger with those three." She affirmed as she approached the couple. "Let me change your bandages and clean out your wounds."

"Sure."

The Asian girl went to her table and reached for some peroxide and gauze, intent on starting with Rylan at first. "So have you two thought about names at all?"

"Names..." Ellie stated flatly as she placed a hand over her stomach. She then shared turned her head towards her boyfriend. "We uh... no. No, I haven't thought about names yet."

"Yeah..." Rylan nodded in support as Yang began to unwrap his dirty bandages. "Kind of the least of our worries right now."

"Just curious. I was named after my grandmother." She then poured some alcohol on a rag and began dabbing the brunette's wounds to which he slightly winced. "Is Gilroy dead?"

"Yeah." Rylan answered her.

Yang sighed in content. "Who killed him?"

That was the second thing Ellie saw when she arrived in the arena with Terry. "Abe did." She answered her. And of course the first thing she witnessed was Joel and Rylan fighting to the end which gravely disturbed her.

"Well I suppose he's helpful sometimes."

Ellie nodded. "Yeah. I guess so."

A while later back at the head of the train, Bill stood at the controls glancing over back and forth from the track they were traveling on, to the map that lay beside him. He would stop at the next town for Joel, Abe, and Terry. It was risky however he had to make sure that the remnants of Gilroy's men would not follow them and the only way to do that was to go somewhere where he was sure they would not be followed.

Death Valley...

The hottest most barren land in America by far. Without sufficient supplies, or a goddamn train, survivors would do well and go around the desert. Dust and sand whipped through the air as the locomotive dusted off the tracks where they sped. " 'nother mile or two." Bill mumbled under his breathe as he spotted what looked like an old boom town up ahead.

"Bill!" The large man turned around to see Rylan entering the cabin with fresh clean gauze wrapped around his head. The boy looked disheveled and anxious for good reason. "Stop the train."

"I know kid, I know." Bill pointed out the window. "We're making the scheduled stop right-! OH SHIT!"

He didn't see it from a distance because the piece of old history was covered and camouflaged in sand and dirt, but there was an abandoned caravan, which included a broken down bus, laying right there on the tracks...

"Brakes-!"

_*CRASHH! _

Jerking forward, Rylan and Bill impacted on the consoles in front of them as the train collided with the bus full force. Pieces of the former city transport flew around the engine, however the bulk of the large vehicle still clung and stuck to the front on the cowcatcher.

Bill pulled the lever to hit the brakes but a second after something underneath their feet snapped and a loud creak prolonged cringe-worthy damage around them. Coming up at the old station of the boom town, which was only a one street village up against a mountain and an old mine shaft, the bus finally fell off to the side as the train slowed to an agonizing halt. Steam emanated from the engine, and a look of panic was frozen on his face. "Can anything go right for us!? CAN ANYTHING JUST BE FUCKING SIMPLE?!"

Rylan shared his distress. "It sounded like something got stuck underneath us."

"Of course. Just great, just my goddamn luck." Bill grumbled as he limped his way to the conductor cabin door. "C'mon kid!"

The two of them hopped out and their feet immediately felt like they were standing on lava. The air was stifling, heavy, the hot air already felt unbearable, it had to be in the triple digits out here. Obviously, death valley, by environment and landscape alone, deserves the title. Bill looked under to inspect the damage. "You see that?"

Rylan followed his gaze and frustration coated his mind and face. "Shit..."

"Gonna need a blow torch for that." The two of them continued to look at the damage of the bus axial jammed in the wheels of the locomotive. "Be right back, stay here, stay sharp."

Bill then began to walk down the line of boxcars until he came up to the forth boxcar. At least this problem was easily salvageable, and it would give extra time for the others to catch up to them hopefully. Rylan turned around to scan over the ruins of the toward, the far end being the old mine shaft leading into the mountain. The sun still beat down on them, nearly roasting out here.

The brunette sighed. "Never a dull moment... you gotta be kidding."

Out of the darkness of the mine shaft as well as the old buildings that made up the town, Infected, mostly Runners, began to reveal themselves.

* * *

After finally losing their pursuers, the trio were able to slow to an easy trot as they continued along the train tracks, in search of the other members of their group. The midday sun beating down on them, searing their skin but they knew if they wasted anymore time, the likeliness of them ever locating the others was plummeting ever more. Each man sat in silence, trapped in their own thoughts. Joel focused his attention on the situation with Ellie and Rylan, had he been to harsh on the boy? No, of course he hadn't, he had only gone and gotten his baby girl pregnant, Joel's actions were perfectly justified...

But on the other hand they were both consenting adults who fully understood the consequences of what they had done. Joel grimaced, shaking his head in disbelief, he expected Rylan to do something this stupid (he was a teenage boy after all) but Ellie? Joel had thought she would have more sense, she had always said that she never wanted kids because she didn't want to do that to an innocent child, bringing them into a world of pain and destruction. Joel was torn from his inner turmoil when he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder.

"Thinking about Ellie, huh?" Abe questioned, a knowing smile curled his lips.

"Yeah, I just don't know what to do about her and the boy." Joel grunted in reply.

"The way I see it, Rylan's a pretty decent kid. He's a good fighter, he was certainly able to hold his own against you out there today, it's obvious he cares about Ellie deeply and would do anything to protect her. Most importantly though...he makes her happy and to be honest I can't think of any guy I would rather have to be dating my daughter" Abe announced, glancing over at Joel, gauging his reaction. Joel's features hardened as his anger boiled to the surface.

"Well you wouldn't know would you? You're eighteen years too goddamn late! I met Ellie when she was fourteen and she was all alone in this fucking hellhole!" Joel growled, shrugging Abe's hand off his shoulder.

"I've made mistakes, yeah, but now I'm trying to make up for them. I was younger than Ellie is now when Anna told me she was pregnant with her. I was a sixteen year old kid just trying to survive, I was scared so I ran. I'm not proud of what I did, in fact I've regretted it ever since, but I thought Anna could handle it, she was safe in the Boston QZ and she had Marlene watching over her all the time. I went back to the QZ four years ago only to find that Marlene and Anna were dead and Ellie had gone AWOL from the military academy."

Abe continued his rant. "I've spent the next few years trying to track Ellie down! It was only by chance that I ran in to Bill and told him my plan, that was six months ago. I spent a year and a half wandering aimlessly from QZ to QZ trying to find her and when I finally did, I found that the role had already been taken! How do you think that feels?" Abe snarled but having his voice break in the last sentence.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt but do you hear that?" Terry asked, silencing the arguing pair. Joel took a deep breath, calming himself before scanning his surroundings with his finely tuned hearing and what he did he made his blood run cold. Gun shots and the screams of what sounded like hundreds if not thousands of the Infected.

"There's the train!" Joel pointed in the distance. "HYAH!"

And their horses galloped and left a dusty trail behind them.

* * *

**A/N- Will they be able to reach them in time? What will happen, who may live and who will die? Big dramatic chapter coming up next, stay tuned! :)**


	13. Death Valley Finale

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

**A/N- It has been SOOOO long since I've updated this story. And I am so so sorry, I've been lazy and I've had to deal with a lot of drama: social and personal of the like. Please enjoy nevertheless now that it's back. Thank you :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Death Valley Finale**_

"Gonna need a blow torch for that." The two of them continued to look at the damage of the bus axial jammed in the wheels of the locomotive. "Be right back, stay here, stay sharp."

Bill then began to walk down the line of boxcars until he came up to the forth boxcar. At least this problem was easily salvageable, and it would give extra time for the others to catch up to them hopefully. Rylan turned around to scan over the ruins of the toward, the far end being the old mine shaft leading into the mountain. The sun still beat down on them, nearly roasting out here.

The brunette sighed. "Never a dull moment..." His eyes fell on the ruins. "...you gotta be kidding."

Out of the darkness of the mine shaft as well as the old buildings that made up the town, Infected, mostly Runners, began to reveal themselves.

_*ROOOAAAGHH!*_

"BILL!" Rylan's eyes widened with horror. "WE GOT A FUCKING PROBLEM!"

The large man looked back and followed the young man's gaze, and of course the roars of the Infected too. "Shit... sonava-! HOLD'EM OFF!"

Rylan instinctively pulled out his gun and took aim at the closet Runner coming at him. Lining up the sights, he realized that there were two more Infected right behind the first one. Deciding to play it safe and save the ammo, Rylan turned heel and opened up the boxcar door. "There's too many! Get back inside so we can shoot'em up top!"

As Rylan slid the door open, Bill looked back seeing his request of the boy to buy him some time to get the blow torch get cut short at the moment. He cursed. "Dammit!" And he followed suit by running further down the train, intent on entering through the caboose.

The young man climbed into the train with the Infected nipping at his heels. Howling and screaming bloody murder, Rylan turned around to slid the door back closed when one then two then three of the Runners used their bodies to block the door from being closed. From their waists up, they were being piled on top of each other and clawing their way further inside. Rylan hissed under his breathe as he tried to keep them in place with his weight on the boxcar door while at the same time pulling his gun back out.

He took aim and-!

_*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*_

All the bodies fell limp in the door, dead, and Rylan realized he hadn't even fired a single shot yet. He turned around expecting Ellie to be out of bed or Bill already caught up to him. But instead he was surprised to see none other than Yang shakily holding Ellie's pistol in her hands and breathing heavily. "I thought you didn't like guns..."

Rylan went up to the dead Infected and kicked them outside so that the door could be closed now. From where he stood, he could already see more Infected homing in and banging on the side of the locomotive. He finally slid the door shut, locking it. Yang came up to him and shrugged her shoulders. "Desperate times."

True. Their numbers were still halved. "Bill and I found something jammed in the wheels underneath, we can't move until we get a blow torch down there." He explained to her. "But we're trapped here until the Infected are dealt with."

Yang questioned him. "So why don't you guys just do what you did in Salt Lake City? Shoot them from above?"

_*THUD!* *THUD!* ROOARGH!*_

The both of them flinched with the added barrage of Infected flailing against the boxcars, and soon enough the thrashing was coming from both sides now. Rylan furrowed his eyebrows. "Sounds like there's A LOT more of them out there than Salt Lake, and just to let you know we're not swimming in as much ammo either."

"Bill will know what to do." Yang affirmed as she sprinted back to her medical car, Rylan close behind.

* * *

Slamming the caboose exit shut behind him and his foot throbbing from the hobble, Bill took a nearby chair and bolted it up against the door for good measure. As expected, several Runners and a Clicker began swarming the door, throwing their arms and fists in an attempt to break the glass. As the window began to crack under the onslaught, Bill backed up far enough to grab the shotgun that was resting on his right. He backed up further and exited the caboose, locking the door behind him, and letting out a sigh of relief. "Goddamn..." He wiped the sweat from his brow.

Moving up to the next car, Bill went to a work station and adjusted the lamp so that he could begin crafting items, what kind of items you say? Explosive items, of course!

"Just need some... and a little of these..." Bill mumbled to himself as he poured some nails and even a railroad spike or two into some mason jars and trigger containers. "This has got to work."

Suddenly, Rylan and Yang burst open through the door. "Bill, we got trouble!"

"No shit!" The large man bit down on a piece of tape to cut it off and wrap it around one of the nail bombs. "We're sitting ducks here, and the only way to get outta water is to blow those fuckers to kingdom come."

"And your answer is-" Yang counted the bombs on the table. "Five... six of your redneck garage inventions?!" She was frazzled as she tentatively picked up one of the bombs, careful not to prick her finger on any of the spikes.

"That's why we gotta make'em count!" Bill barked back as he pumped his shotgun and handed three bombs to Rylan and three to Yang. "Get up top and aim for the clusters."

"...I'm helping too." Ellie croaked weakly from behind them. The young redhead looked like a mess. There was still some dried blood on her shoulder and arm, and her face was noticeably pale. "Let me help. Babe, help me up."

"No no. Ellie. Get back to the medical car, you're still not 100% yet." Rylan approached her and comforted her.

"Neither are you, you're concussed." She shooed away her boyfriend, intent on assisting on the endeavor. "If we get fucked then it won't matter if I'm down here or up there, so give me a goddamn bomb!"

Rylan looked back to Yang for some medical support, and the Asian merely shook her head while Bill headed for the ladder which led to the hatch up top. "Girl's got a point, c;mon already!"

* * *

"HYAH!" Joel clicked the heels of his shoes on the stallion's side, as did Terry and Abe on either side of him. The sand was kicked up as their hooves sprinted across the hot plain, riding for hours they knew. On the horizon however they saw in the distance a mountain, along with a dusty streak at its base. "Ya see that?!"

"I see something!" Terry yelled back to him.

Abraham pulled ahead of the other two, kicking his horsey into high gear. "It's them!"

Joel's heart leaped when he heard his words even though he knew all they had to do was to follow the tracks they would eventually catch up to them. But the fact that Ellie was within sight gave the bearded man a second wind, and he matched Abe's speed with his own. "Stay on guard! Hopefully they'll see us coming and won't mistake us for bandits!"

Minutes passed and the locomotive was coming closer and closer into view. Smoke was emitting around it, and dust was whirling around it for some reason. It was Joel however who heard what sounded like explosives going off. "I think they're trouble!"

Abe questioned loudly over the clopping of the horses hooves. "Infected?!"

Terry added further. "All the way out here?!"

"Just be ready!"

And then it hit them. A stray Runner collided with Abraham's horse, making the animal buck and roll into the ground, significantly lowering their speed. Terrance and Joel's eyes widened when they realized that they were being surrounded by a dozen Infected. Gnashing their jaws at them, the three men were loosing control of their horses so to prevent further injury, they hopped off their horses and slapped them off so that they could escape.

"Guys!" About fifty yards away from them stood the tracks and on top of them, they could see the four familiar figures waving their arms in the arm, signaling that they could see them. Bill shouted again. "Welcome to the party!" He fired his shotgun downward where the buckshot eliminated a Clicker up against the train. Rylan fired with a shot of his own with his pistol, and Ellie and Yang together threw their last bombs into some of the remaining clumps of the Infected.

"Gotta take care of business!" Abe shouted as he fired his Desert Eagle into the heads of two Runners. "COME ON!"

Terrance pointed back to the train. "Joel! Look!"

The bearded man whipped his head around and gasped. "Oh Christ! ELLIE!"

Three or so of the Infected had climbed up on the small station building next to the tracks onto its roof. Roaring, they sprinted towards the edge, level with the top of the boxcars now. Leaping, Bill turned around just in time to shoot and kill one of the Runners while the other two had their sights set on Ellie and Bill himself.

"SHOOT'EM! SOMEONE!"

At the last second, Rylan pushed Ellie out of the way and got tackled by one Infected, shooting the monster in midair and hitting the ground hard while the other Infected caught Bill on his bad foot and he went for a tumble as well. "GAH! Goddam- help!"

Yang and Ellie were in near panic as they were attempting to hold their own as more Infected followed suit from the previous ones. Meanwhile Joel had Abe cover their six as he and Terry went to clear out the area near the train and save Bill from the still live one clawing right on top of them. "I got Bill, check on the boy!" He ordered.

Terry huffed and puffed as he moved his large size over to Rylan who was stirring under a corpse. At the same time, Joel pulled out a shiv and sliced the neck of the Infected that was on top of Bill, spewing a fountain of blood. "You okay-!"

Tackled yet again from behind from another Runner, Joel took a face plant into the sand adjacent to Bill who was trying to reload his weapon in a hurry. Everyone else being preoccupied with other fungal faces, Joel felt the teeth of his attacker bite down into the fabric of his shirt...

Only for a second... but not his skin though, not yet.

Joel whirled his head around and dangerously elbowed the Runner in the mouth, disorientating it enough to get out from under it. Out of harm's way right then, Bill pulled the trigger, eviscerating its skull into a bloody boney mess.

"FUCK!"

Only squabbles of Infected remained as Joel and Bill witnessed Ellie somehow off the top of the train and up against the boxcar. One of the last Runners was about to rip out her neck when Terrance from behind took hold of the thing's head. "RRYAAA!" With a loud grunt of effort and an incredible display of strength, Terry bloodily tore the skull off of the body effectively killing it, and Ellie letting out a sigh of relief.

"Oh my god..." Her chest heaved and the color barely still returning to her face. "Are you okay?" She directed to Terry.

Terrance, strangely clutching his side from an injury he must have received when Joel wasn't looking, responded. "I'm fine. But your boyfriend may have hit his head... again."

Rylan had fully pushed the corpse off of him as Abe emptied his clip into the remaining Infected. The roaring had stopped, ceased. They had all won. Abraham leaped with victory and cheered. "WOO-HOO! EAT SHIT ASSHOLES! YEAH!" He howled to himself then smacked his lips, feeling the heat now. "Damn... I'm thirsty."

"Everyone okay?!" Joel called out to everyone, looking around and making sure that all was present and breathing. "No one got bit?"

"I think so." Yang squeaked from above them, the only remaining person left on the train. "Is anyone hurt?"

Brushing himself off as he got up, Bill grumbled while his face adorned tunnel vision. "Joel, help me out here. We need to get the blowtorch out."

"Sure." Joel absentmindedly stated as he ran up to Ellie and gave her a hug. "You still with us baby girl?" He almost held her too tight, much to the redhead's discomfort.

But Ellie couldn't help but hide the grin, feeling that they were all finally out of danger for now. "Yeah, I've been through worse."

Rylan approached the two of them, holstering his weapon and snagging his hug from his girlfriend. While they were in an embrace however he and Joel shared an estranged look with each other.

Joel's hand still stung...

and Rylan's head still ached...

The two of them made no comment to one another.

But then Abraham joined the reunion, smirking like no other. "Well..." His hands on his hips. "I'd say the worst is behind us right?"

Terrance surprisingly scoffed at that remark however. "Don't even say that..." Sadness drenched in his voice.

Yang had entered back into the boxcar from the top hatch access, and Bill's voice boomed across Death Valley, directing it towards them. "Let's keep moving!"

* * *

Hell must have taken a holiday because Death Valley seemed to have occupied that position now. If Bill hadn't cut through that bus axle and got the train moving again, they would've all suffered of fatal dehydration, heat stroke, and etc etc etc...

Their party was injured, Yang had her hands full with Ellie, Rylan, Joel, and Bill. Terrance was the only one to deny medical aid, claiming he would take care of it himself. "You sure you're all right Terrance?"

"Leave'em alone Bill." Abe crossed his arms and nodded towards him in understanding. "He's a big boy, he don't look too hurt." Terry locked eyes with Abraham, they weren't the best of pals, but they did respect one another, and among these two that counted for a lot.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm fine." He turned to exit the medical car. "I'll be in my room."

A few hours had passed as Terry sank onto his worn, old mattress and ran his hand over his face. He couldn't believe he had been so careless. Now he was going to die, he had reached the end of the line-rather ironic with him being on a train-Terry chuckled at this.

His life had always been full of irony; he'd graduated from MIT with a masters degree in engineering only a couple of months before the outbreak meaning all of his hard work had been for nothing, he'd vowed never to have a family in this fucked up world but here he was surrounded by a bunch of misfits that over the last few months had become just that.

Terrance dragged himself into a standing position and trotted across the room to his desk before yanking open the hidden draw on the underbelly of the writing surface. He took a deep breath, removing his trusty Glock from within with trembling hands. He hadn't ever used the gun because it had been hers... But he had always kept it, knowing that the single bullet within its clip would one day serve him well. It had never occurred to him when he had woken up that morning that this would be the day he would have to use it but, of course, that was why he had failed.

He had grown too confident that the train would offer them the protection to get them to the finish line. How wrong had he been?! "...fuck." He winced as he clutched to bite mark on his abdomen.

He scanned the corridor for any movement before hurrying to the ladder that would take him through the skylight and onto the roof of the train. Terry stumbled as he reached the roof, grabbing a bit of roof paneling that had been partially ripped off in the attack to stable himself. He sank to his knees, staring at the weapon in his hands that would soon end his life.

He wondered, could he actually do it? Could he really pull the trigger when the time came? Shit, it didn't matter now anyway, he would die one way or another and at least if he did it this way then none of his friends would have to die when he suddenly attacked them after he turned. No, Terry thought, this is definitely the best option. Taking one last look around at the luscious green fields that rushed passed him, he closed his eyes and slowly raised the gun to his temple.

_BANG!_

Terry leaped in shock and spun around to see Joel's head sticking out of the skylight that was now wide open.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb. I just like to come up here and think sometimes. I'll leave you alone." Joel apologized. Evidently, he hadn't seen the gun Terry thought.

"No, no. Come sit with me for a while. Please." Terry gestured to the spot next to him. Joel seemed to hesitate for a brief moment before hauling himself up and crawling over to Terry.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" Joel sighed, trying to make conversation. "Sarah would have loved a view like this..." He mumbled to himself, hoping that Terry hadn't heard. Unfortunately he was not so lucky.

"Who?" Terry questioned carefully, fully aware that questions like these could often bring up bad memories.

"...Ellie obviously isn't my real daughter, I just kind of adopted her when she was fourteen but before the outbreak I had a proper daughter. Sarah. She was only twelve when the outbreak started and she...she was s-shot in cold blood by a soldier as we tried to escape the city. I guess that over time, Ellie just kinda filled the hole in my heart that Sarah left behind..." Joel said, struggling to keep his emotions in check "And now Ellie has a family of her own, she doesn't really need me anymore..."

Terry awkwardly reached over and patted Joel on the shoulder. "Joel, no matter what happens in her life, she is always going to need you. You've been more of a father to her than Abe ever could. You cared for her like she was your own at a time in her life when she had absolutely no one else that truly wanted her. So what if she has a boyfriend and a kid on the way? So what if Abe is her biological father? You are and always will be her real dad and she needs you even if she doesn't like to admit it or if she's stilled pissed about you kicking her boyfriend's ass. She is going to be more scared now than she has ever been and it's your duty to show her that everything is going to be okay. I once had a family, you know...but I failed them."

Joel gave a sigh of sympathy. "You can't go blamin' yourself for that. It won't do ya any good Terry."

However Terrance went on with his story. "I-I had a girlfriend called Emma at the time of the outbreak and it was only a few weeks later that we found out she was pregnant. I was scared, raising a kid is hard enough without having to continuously fight for survival, I was so scared that I let my guard down...the runner just came out of nowhere and before I could react..." Terrance shuddered, his body began to tick, replaying that fateful moment. Replaying her screams. His family had been destroyed before it had even begun and he had never been able to forgive himself for that. Joel looked up and Terry's shaking frame.

"Hey, whatever happened it wasn't your fau-" Joel stopped mid sentence as Terry launched himself at him, growling and foaming at the mouth.

"RAH!"

Terry had turned. Joel brought his right fist up to Terry's temple, sending him sprawling backwards. Joel pushed himself to his feet, groaning from the strain. He cursed as he realized that he was unarmed as he was again tackled by Terry. Joel's eyes flew around his surroundings while he fought desperately to keep Terry's clamping jaws away from his flesh.

Finally, his adrenaline-rushed gaze came to rest looking upside down on a low tunnel that was quickly approaching the train. With a sudden burst of energy he shoved Terry backwards with all the strength he could muster before hearing a sickening-

_*THUMP!*_

_*slqueesh...*_

and he turned away as he saw the headless body fall to the on the ground.

Catching his breathe and while at the same time cursing himself, he shut his eyes in this darkness. "Goodbye, friend..." Joel muttered as he fought back a sob while he was forced to keep lying on his back until the train was out of the tunnel. "Say hi to our families for me."

The locomotive echoed from within the mountain...


	14. Welcome To San Fran

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

**A/N- Welp... :( Sorry, I just sorta left here for a while and it was only some personal stuff I had to go through and try to get back into the groove. And I realize now that Terry turning last chapter was pretty fast. My only defense for this is where he got bit (on the stomach) and we don't know the shortest amount of time for the fungus to take over. Anyway, back on track with the story. Thank you again :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 14: Welcome To San Fran**_

...

Ellie lay in one of the corners of the medical car on a makeshift cot, on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were hot with tears as she used her un-bandaged arm to wipe away the excess profusion that dared to fall down her cheeks. She sniffed and turned on her side, remembering the awful scene from Vegas between the two men she loved most.

They were forced right? At gunpoint to fight... Then again the redhead felt that this was all her fault for coming on this journey. She remembered back in Jackson that she was given an out to stay there. But of course she was too goddamn stubborn as a mule, and now look at what happened.

Footsteps approached her, but she didn't bother to turn and face them, her gaze locked on the ceiling still. "Hey there."

By the sound of his voice, Ellie could only tell that it was Abraham. She flatly stated. "What do you want?"

"Uh," It took a second for the old redhead to respond. "Just wanted to check on ya. Looks like you'll live."

She scoffed at his remark, finally sparing him a glance. "Wee, I'm so happy I'll live." She said sarcastically to him. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"Hm... alright then." He scratched his chin sheepishly as he knelled down in front of her. "Imma level with you kiddo. And you look at me when I'm talkin' to ya." She looked away. "HEY!"

His voice boomed and surprised the teen, and she naturally turned back toward him. "What?" Was she really going to grant him the role of a father figure giving her advice, ironically her biological father?

Abe stared at her sternly. "Your mother did the same thing at the same age... get knocked up by some young stupid boy. I can help you in some ways, tell you what I didn't do, meaning that's what you should do, seeing as you might agree with me then. Understand?"

It took her a second to wrap her head around it. Then to put it simply, Abe wanted to her to not repeat the mistakes her parents made before she was born. "Sure..." She complied tentatively.

"Alright well, it's about what happened to your mother and me." Abe looked down in shame and rubbed his face. "You were... sort of an acciden- no a surprise for us."

"Huh... well." Ellie held her hands up in a mocking fashion. "Surprise!" Then she scoffed and turned her back at him, done with looking at his face.

Abraham sighed. "Rylan seems like the kind of guy that would really be there for you, go to the ends of the earth to protect you." Ellie adjusted herself and thought, 'You have no idea...' "...so do your best to hold onto him," Abe turned and walked away. "a kid needs a father..."

Elsewhere on the other side of the medical car, Yang finishes cleaning Rylan head wound and began to re-wrap it with gauze. "You need to keep your head out of the dirt. Falling off that boxcar did you no favors," She looked him straight in the eye. "Don't let something like that happen again."

"Yes ma'am... but I was saving Ellie." Rylan shrugged as he winced at the tightening of the bandage. "It was worth it."

"Hmm..." Yang mumbled as she finished her work. "You think you're ready to be a dad?"

The question certainly caught him off guard, the brunette responded. "Where did that come from?"

"Because I'm just saying it's a big responsibility, especially in this world."

"I won't be doing it alone."

"Yeah you will."

Rylan's eyebrows arched. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't have it in my heart to tell her or you but..." Her voice cracked with sadness. "I'm so sorry but I caught something when I realized that Ellie was with child."

Fear seeped into his demeanor. "Wait what?" He stepped up from his chair and took a step back. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Yes." Yang adjusted herself and lowered her volume to a whisper. "I found an... an aneurysm near the baby. If Ellie gives birth, she'll hemorrhage the blood vessels in her placenta and..." Her voice trailed off, implying the worst.

He shook his head, denying it. "How do you know that? And even if you're right couldn't they just- I..."

"Even if there was another alternative, the baby growing alone inside her could rupture the blood vessels and kill both of them. I'm so sorry."

... Silence lay between them as the train suddenly went dark, and the machinations of the locomotive where echoed off the much closer walls surrounding it. Luckily, they had some lanterns to light their way in the boxcar. They should be out of the tunnel soon...

Rylan rested both of his arms down and sighed in defeat. Tears bit the corner of his eyes as he contemplated the dire news. He sighed. "Is there anyway we can save them both?"

Yang shook her head in dismay. "No, an abortion... would be her best option." She stood up from her chair and clasped his shoulder. "I wish there was another way but-"

"Hey, you two look like you've gotten chummy." Rylan and Yang turned their heads to see Abraham approaching with a mixture of stoic and smirk on his face. Yang quickly retracted her hand from the brunette and got in a defensive position. "Am I interrupting something?"

Clear implying was heard in his voice as the old man's green eyes darted from the young man to the Asian girl. Yang was the one to respond first. "How's Ellie?"

"She's good." He nodded. "She's good, maybe not in the mood for talkin'... at least not to me."

Rylan furrowed his eyebrows. "What'd you expect?"

"Look kid, we ALL got off on a bad shake taking this train to the ocean. But a few more days and Bill says we can all go our own ways." Abe explained himself. "It's been a long long time since I've settled down and maybe I was thinking..." He shrugged his shoulders.

"You can't change your mind!" Yang glared at Abraham. "If things go wrong-!"

Abe jabbed a finger towards her, warning her. "Watch it!"

"Wait what?" The young man confusingly inquired in vain from the two of them as the outside of the train sprang with light to illuminate the inside now, they were out of the tunnel. "Abe, answer me!"

_*THUD!*_

Rylan and Abraham jolted back and Yang gave a loud yelp when Joel's body flopped through the ceiling hatch access. He slammed hard on the table between them and he broke it upon impact. It took a second to realize that the bearded man was covered in blood and bits of gore. Heaving, Joel looked up at the surprised expressions of all three of them. "Terry's dead."

Exclamations of having misheard or needing to repeat, Joel picked himself up and leered at them sadly. "He was bit, and he turned and... we where on top of the train and when we hit the um, tunnel..."

Yang covered her mouth in horror. "Oh god!"

"Supposed he took too long to put that bullet in himself." Abe huffed and turned heel. "Damn shame to see him go..."

"Jesus..." Rylan clutched his head in his hands as he moved towards the direction of Ellie, still reeling with all of this grim news. "I'm going to get some sleep."

Joel then turned to Yang as he wiped and smeared some of Terry's blood off of his face. "I'm going to get get cleaned up." And he marched off as he looked out the window and saw in the far distance near the horizon:

The Pacific Ocean...

* * *

As the train pulled into the deserted station, Ellie took in a deep breath. They had been stuck in that glorified tin can for days now, not stopping since they had hurriedly buried Terry's body last night. She still couldn't believe how the situation had developed, the mission was supposed to be a simple drop off but had resulted in the death of another person that she cared about, traveled with. Terry was gone.

The list of people who had died alongside her was ever growing: her mom, Riley, Sam, Henry, Tommy, Marlene and now Terry. She admitted that she hasn't been that close to Terry but spending so much time with people in a confined space for hours and days on end forms friendships that are not easily broken. She dreaded the day she would have to add Rylan or Joel to the list of the dead but in this world it was all too easy to lose the people you cared about most.

She didn't even want to think about possibly losing her child, it just didn't seem right. Parents should never have to bury their children, it went against the natural order of things but she knew that it was all too possible...Joel had done it. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air as her foot landed on the moss-covered concrete platform.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rylan smiled, engulfing her small hand in his.

"Yeah, in Jackson it's so easy to forget that there is a whole world out here waiting to be explored." She stated, staring out across the city.

"Well, when this is all over why don't we come back here and explore the city in detail, just the two of us. What do you think?" Rylan asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

Ellie frowned, turning to face him. "But then who would take care of our kid if we're on the other side of the country?"

Rylan exhaled loudly before replying. "I'm sure Joel won't mind, it will give him a chance to bond with his grandchild. Plus Maria would be there to help and I know Sarah would love to have a cousin to play with." His earlier conversation with Yang flashed in his head, he hated not telling Ellie the diagnosis after everything they had been through together but he just couldn't bring himself to give her the devastating news that their baby wouldn't even make it into the world.

...But there was no way in hell that he would let her sacrifice herself for an infant that would most likely not survive anyway due to it being so premature. He just couldn't do it, he couldn't lose her. Not now.

"Are you okay? You've be quiet for a while now." Ellie questioned, prodding him in the stomach with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Yeah, just thinking." He replied, flashing a small smile. "Come on, the others are waiting. Bill's gonna wait with the train for the doctor's guys to unload it while we all head to the stadium."

Ellie nodded, letting Rylan guide her through the empty station, taking the hand he offered her as they clambered over the turnstiles that guarded the entrance. As they emerged from the gloomy tunnels and into the bright midday sun, they were met by one of the most iconic sights that San Francisco had to offer: The Golden Gate Bridge. The sunlight reflected off the large metal construction giving the illusion that the bridge was on fire with Mount Tamalpais towering over the distant landscape.

"Hell of view out here, ain't it?" Joel asked, causing the young couple to spin around in surprise. They had been so lost in their own thoughts that they had failed to notice Abe, Joel and Yang approach. "Well com' on, we've only got a few hours before sundown and we do not want to be out in the open when it does."

* * *

The group slowly worked its way through the crumbling streets of San Francisco, desperately trying to reach the AT&amp;T Park before the sun sank below the city skyline. As the group travelled, they blended into a natural formation of Joel, Ellie and Abe leading the way with Rylan and Yang bringing up the rear.

"So..." Yang began. "Have you told her yet?"

"No, how the fuck am I supposed to tell her that we have to abort the pregnancy? She'll be crushed!" Rylan whispered, angrily. He had been thinking about this all day but every way he looked at it there was absolutely no way to break the news lightly.

"Rylan, you don't have time to work out a way to tell her easily. If the fetus grows any bigger she will die! Every day you wait, the worst it could be. Are you really willing to risk that just because you don't have the balls to tell her?" Yang hissed, frowning at the young man next to her.

"Hey! Fuck you! That's my kid in there too. I'm trying, I am. It's hard enough that I'm grieving already but now I have to tell my girlfriend to get rid of the child that I have watched her slowly grow attached to. It's just too hard!" He growled, clenching his fists so tightly that his nailed dug into his palms, nearly drawing blood.

Yang sighed, staring at her feet "You're right, I'm sorry. But you're wasting precious time that we just don't have if you want to save her. Trust me on this."

Rylan gritted his teeth, feeling the familiar stab of regret take hold as he thought about his new task. If only they had been more careful, then they wouldn't even have been in this mess in the first place but that was all in the past and there was nothing he could do to reverse that and now the consequences of one reckless night had come back to bite him in the ass. He shook his head slightly, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall.

"I know..."

Only a couple of blocks away from AT&amp;T Stadium now, the Asian girl took a comforting hand and rubbed his back. "Then when we arrive go ahead-!"

"FREEZE!"

Suddenly in a flash, the group of five were surrounded by men in black wielding assault rifles. A much more different tone that Gilroy's men, our heroes backed up into a semi circle while Abe and Joel counted that there were ten men on the ground while two snipers were up high in both adjacent buildings. They were stuck.

Powerless to draw their weapons everyone but Yang put their hands up in surrender, again, except for one girl in their company. Yang was the one who stepped forward and jabbed a finger at the man who commanded them to 'freeze' and yelled at him in Japanese or something. Belligerent the man in black responded in the same language and ordered all of his men to stand down.

"Sorry," Yang directed to the group. "That's how they're trained."

Abe scoffed. "Wish I could get people to do that."

Joel quipped. "We usually sorta have the opposite effective on people and guns."

"We're all on the same side here, right?" Ellie outwardly asked anyone.

Yang nodded however as four of the men in black organized and filed in line as an escort. "The doctor is waiting for us. Time to meet genius."

* * *

**A/N- I guess you could say that I'm back. Finally, the group will meet Dr. Kojima the man who holds the cure? How should Rylan break the news to Ellie and Joel? Find out next when we arrive at Alcatraz! Next Chapter will be a super long chapter, so stay tuned! :)**


	15. Doctor Kojima

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

**A/N- Your patience is rewarded, and my gratitude to you all is eternal. A lot is going to happen here so get ready, I hope its not too rushed, and the chapter wasn't as long as I thought it would be but... Enjoy and Thank you :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 15: Doctor Kojima **_

Just another day after the 'end of the world' in the near heart of San Francisco, strangers were still pointing guns at our weary travelers, and everyone else was just exhausted from their journey. Finally tired of waiting momentarily, Ellie was the one who broke the ice.

"We're all on the same side here, right?" Ellie outwardly asked anyone.

Yang nodded however as four of the men in black organized and filed in line as an escort. "Yes. The doctor is waiting for us. Time to meet genius."

Hostilities were ceased and everyone was at ease now. Joel and especially Ellie and Rylan sighed with relief as the company of men in black, guns lowered now, motioned for them to continue trekking towards the stadium. The sky now at overcast, somewhat dimming their surroundings as a slight breeze whistled between the desolate ruins which were all that remained of downtown San Francisco.

With AT&amp;T Stadium now within view after rounding another block, Yang led the pack of their party along with five of Kojima's men. And there to meet them with open arms near the entrance of the park were another pair of guards in full black clothing and assault rifles along with a grinning elderly Asian man with a white lab coat. His gray hair messy from the wind or his work or whether it was natural or not, he wore a pair of thick horn-rimmed glasses, and his teeth were yellowed with age. Because of his wrinkly face, Kojima looked to be older than Joel, in his 60's at least, so it was rare to meet a man of this age, older than papa Joel at least.

"Ah, haha." Dr. Kojima laughed heartily as he opened his arms wide for a running Yang to embrace him. The Asian woman sobbed slightly as he squeezed the old man tightly. "There, there. I know you missed me."

"You have no idea." Yang released her grip and sniffed. She looked behind her to find her friends feeling a little awkward, so she composed herself and introduced them. "Sorry. Ahem, doctor..." She pointed them out respectively. "You already know Abe. This is Joel, Ellie, and Rylan."

"Howdy." Joel nodded as he offered a handshake only to suddenly have one of Kojima's guards threaten the bearded man with a muzzle in his face. "Jesus!"

"Now, now!" The doctor said something in Japanese to the guard, and his man immediately stood down, probably replying with a 'sir' or sorry'. "You must forgive Captain Li. Our time here in America has certainly kept us on our toes."

Joel understood with a nod. "It's alright." Bandits, Infected, testing on the Infected, he'd be surprised if these men weren't a little jumpy. The Captain however removed his helmet to fully reveal his face. Slant eyes and a shaved head, he was much younger than Kojima, but Joel could definitely tell Li's demeanor held the authority of the other men. He looked battle-worn.

"Bill told us a lot about you Dr. Kojima, glad someone's working on a cure. Thanks by the way." Rylan stated happily.

Kojima smiled. "The cure is only the beginning young man. I'm sure I will be long dead before I see this world in the same beauty as it once was." He inwardly sighed. "I've tried to make do with my knowledge, however even the smartest man in the world is useless without the means to allocate that knowledge."

"If you don't mind me asking sir..." Ellie piped up, fiddling with her thumbs as the bespectacled elder's gaze fell on her. "With the supplies we got you, how long will it be until you're handing out shots?"

"Yeah," Abe crossed his arms in dismay. "You never really answered all of my questions either."

Furrowing his eyebrows, the doctor sighed. But it was Yang who answered for him. "Please guys, we can talk inside and explain everything. Doctor..." Her eyes sparkled like stars. "There's something I need to talk to you about. Urgently."

"Yes." He bowed his head in reply. "Come then, most of my work is on Alcatraz but I've always loved baseball as a boy."

And the group filed into the stadium...

* * *

"Wow... this looks like the one back in Boston." Ellie commented as she scanned their surroundings while they traveled upward towards the press boxes.

"...I always had season tickets to the Red Sox." Abe fondly remembered smirking. "The Giants could kiss my ass."

"You still gonna act like a dick, aren't ya Abe?" Rylan rolled his eyes at the old man's comment as he decreased his pace so that he could be beside Ellie and whisper towards her. "Hey when we have a sec, I need to tell you something, okay? Something serious babe."

When she looked into her boyfriend's eyes his tone had said it all. His expression pensive and void of any pleasure, Ellie mirrored his level of speech. Instinctively placing her hand on her tummy, the redhead responded warily. "What's the matter?"

He took another second to comfort her worries, albeit poorly. "We... just need to talk to the Kojima and Yang, they can explain it better than me." _That you need an abortion or you'll die..._

Ellie furrowed her eyes with frustration, he knew she hated it when he beat around the bush. "Explain what?"

Before he could continue this somewhat inconspicuous chat, Joel stepped in between them, wrapping a burly arm around Ellie's shoulder in a paternal fashion. "Finally got somethin' good outta somethin' huh?" He smirked at Ellie while avoiding Rylan's gaze. "We can all rest up tonight, and get on back towards Jackson by morning, how's that sound?"

Ellie wanted nothing more than to go home, where everything was relatively less complicated in their community. "Yeah sounds great. But we have some explaining to do to Maria when we get back though."

"Better let me do the talking." Joel rebuked.

Up front in the group, Yang had led Dr. Kojima with hushed whispers and towards an open door which led to the biggest press box in the park, overlooking the whole stadium through its window. Captain Li halted the company of the weary travelers. "Wait here!" His voice simply commanded.

Abe outwardly sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest and went to lean on the near concrete wall next to the door. The old redhead pulled out his trusty flask and opened it. When he tried to drink its contents, Abe was sorely reminded that he had no alcohol left, and his face remained a grimace. He pocketed his flask once more and asked the Captain. "You gottta smoke Tojo, or some sake? Anything?"

Li turned his attention towards the old man and regarded him with disgust, condescending him. "No. I do not smoke, I do not drink." They could tell he did not speak much English.

"Life's too short to be all strict like that. I'm just tired man, can you help me out?"

Before Li could further insult Abe, Joel tossed Abe a small glass bottle from his backpack. "Just a sip. Got it?"

" 'Preciate it." Abe thanked as he downed a sip of Joel's whiskey happily while the Captain looked on with distaste between the two older men. He then tossed it back to Joel. "I'm good now."

"You get a lot of trouble from the Infected around here?" Ellie innocently asked the Captain out of the blue. "I haven't seen any since we came into the city."

Li eyed the young redhead with curiosity in his eyes, and he nodded in response. "Yes. But they stay underground where..." His voice trailed off struggling to find the right word in his vocabulary. "...fungus, the fungus stays down there."

"Makes sense. San Fran has a decent train system with plenty of tunnels." Joel informed them. "Pretty dark and damp for it being under the bay."

"Stay topside and I bet it ain't all that bad." Rylan interjected in.

But Li readily informed them. "Kojima cover three main exits so we capture test subjects, for cure." He spoke in broken English. "We are very close to being done here."

"That's great to hear but uh..." Ellie lost her train of thought when she felt something twinge, something strange, uncomfortable in her belly. She looked down and walked off to a corner, intent on examining herself. "What's...?"

"Ellie." Rylan bit his lip as he followed his girlfriend to the adjacent corner. "Hey, you okay?"

"I don't know." The soon to be mother grew more and more concerned by the second. "I feel weird, that's all." Her eyes widened. "You don't think it could be the baby, could it?"

"Ellie-"

But Rylan was interrupted yet again as Kojima and Yang returned from the press box, their expressions much more different and steadfast as when they went inside. Yang spoke to them all. "Everyone, everyone. We've prepared a hot meal in the lower conference room and showers in the locker rooms if you want them."

"Dinner will be ready in two hours." Dr. Kojima smiled to them. "You and the whole species that is the human race is indebted to you. Please let us show our hospitality. Li, escort them, I'm sure they will be famished."

The Captain saluted his boss and motioned Abe, Joel, Rylan, and Ellie to follow him. It was no secret to any of them, they all stank to high heaven, their clothes stained with dry blood and days of caked sweat still sticking to their skins. The four of them thanked their hosts and proceeded to their amenities.

Rylan cursed his confession skills yet again.

_TWO HOURS LATER..._

Sitting in a conference room with ten chairs surrounding the 4 feet by 12 feet aged table, residing in one of the suite box seats of the baseball park. Everyone filed in, refreshed and a lot cleaner than when they first arrived. Kojima and Yang waited for them patiently, a spread of fresh vegetables and beans littered everyone's plate, along with a tall cool-looking glass of water for each of them.

Kojima welcomed them. "Take a seat. Please."

Ellie took the chair directly across from Yang, and Rylan took the seat next to her, across from Kojima. Joel sat next to Ellie and Abe sat on Rylan's side while Li shut the door behind them. "It's a nice place you got here." Joel commented.

"We do our best with what we have." The doctor responded as he motioned for Yang to light the three purple candlesticks that lay in the middle of the table. These would provide enough necessary natural light for their dinner as the sun outside began to set below the horizon. "Please eat, you are our guests of honor."

"Thanks." Ellie simply said as she looked at a fresh carrot in her hands and tentatively bit down into it. "Hey where's Bill by the way? Shouldn't he be here with us?"

Yang was quick on the draw to answer him. "Bill's still on Alcatraz transporting the equipment there. We only have several boats with certain weight limits, so it'll take a while to finish up." She then ate a spoonful of beans.

"Will he be done by morning?" Rylan asked as he took a sip of the water nonchalantly.

Kojima complied as he adjusted his glasses and pushed them up on the bridge of his nose. "Yes. And then you can all be on your way if you wish. So how was your journey?" He began to eat himself. "Any casualties?"

"We lost Terry." Abe stated flatly as he ate a stick of celery and chewed loudly. "He got bit and turned."

Kojima's face fell, and he spoke sincerely. "...I am so sorry for your friend. He will be missed, but his death will not be in vain." He then raised his glass of water. "To Terrance." He offered a toast to his memory.

Everyone was more than happy to oblige in the toast: first Joel joined in with Kojima's glass then Yang. Ellie, Abe, and Rylan clinked in as well as they all remembered the sacrifice Terry had made for their goal. But now they were here, now it was over...

Everyone on the guest side except for Abe drank from their glasses after their toast, and then they began to eat their dinner. "Hear, hear." Joel chimed as he began eating the beans.

From across the table Yang eyed Rylan with suspicion, mouthing the words: _did you tell her yet?_

And the young brunette discreetly shook his head. _No I haven't, how could I?_

Ten minutes had passed into the meal, and all was merry except for the dire news that stood on Rylan's shoulders for Ellie. He couldn't tell her now, could he? In front of everyone, really? He only mentally kicked himself for making love to his girlfriend three months ago. But the longer he waited, the worst it'd be for him.

With plans to excuse them from the table, Rylan turned his head at his girlfriend. "Hey Ellie, I...ned mrrpghh..phf..." _..?_

The young man instantly racked his brains and came to the conclusion that he forgot how to talk. The brunette then looked down at his hands, and his fingers began to warp and twist and distort in front of his very eyes. Polka dots of various colors began to blind his vision and the luminous lights from the candles looked brighter than supernovas. All the while his tongue tripped up on itself as his head felt like an anvil, and his neck couldn't support its weight anymore.

_*WHAM!* _

Rylan's forehead made contact with his plate in front of him and he fell unconscious... again, followed by Ellie and Joel mimicking his reaction. The three at the dinner table, eyes closed, minds gone, were ready...

Abe looked angrily at the two Asians. "THIS WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN!"

Kojima gently placed down his spoon and wiped his face with napkin, interlocking his fingers. "Plans change Abraham. And for the record, your drink was not drugged." The mask had come off...

Abe raged and stood up from his chair, glaring at Yang. "YOU BITCH! You told him didn't you?! Didn't you?!"

"We have to cover ALL our bases here Abraham." She stood up from her chair as well. "ALCATRAZ IS DONE, everyone there is DEAD! And we have to start all over again!"

"Rylan was supposed to be the one! JUST HIM! He's just as immune as Ellie! You leave my daughter alone ya'hear?!" Abe's nostrils flared. "WHY'D YOU DO THIS?!"

Kojima chuckled lightly as he leaned in as if he were whispering a secret. "Stem cells Abraham. Immune... stem cells. Sure, my team and I could reverse engineer a vaccine faster than any of your perished Firefly friends, but we need to take a step further than that." Kojima then stood up and snapped his fingers at Li. "This fetus Yang has told me about is only the beginning, the beginning to not only conquer the Cordyceps, but also... to take **our next step up into evolution**..."

"You're fucking insane!" Abe condemned the foreign man's actions, and he began to draw his pistol at him only to have Captain Li aim his assault rifle at the old redhead.

Li mocked him with a smug grin. "Still want that smoke Yank?" He then waited for orders. "Should I shoot sir?"

"He's made it apparent that he's not happy with us... kill him." The doctor solemnly sentenced.

In an instant, Abraham threw his plate at Li as a distraction as he dove across the table where the Captain's bullets embedded themselves, narrowly striking him. He landed on the other side as he got in close and grabbed hold of Dr. Kojima, placing a pistol to the side of his head, and holding him hostage. "Who's laughing now you fuckin' son of a bitch?"

Yang pulled out her own gun and aimed it at the unconscious Ellie's head. "If he dies, Ellie dies. All of them will, and then you." She gritted her teeth at this old man she hated all along. "LET HIM GO!"

Li kept his gun trained on Abe, lining up his shot... he squeezed the trigger.

At the same time, Abe pushed Kojima forward and retreated to the outside overlook balcony while Kojima was clipped in the shoulder by Li's bullet. The old doctor roared in pain as Li fired again putting a bullet into Abe's ass when he hopped over ledge to the seats below. He exclaimed in pain as he made his escape.

Yang quickly tended to the doctor's wound, who was hyperventilating from all that was going on. His body was still reeling from getting shot, luckily for him it was just a graze. "J-just g-get them to Fort Point." He swore in Japanese as he looked up to his Captain while Yang applied pressure. "Take the men and hunt him down, make sure he's dead."

"What about Bill?" Li questioned. "Kill him too?"

"No," The doctor stated flatly. "He's earn his keep." He then addressed towards Joel, Ellie, and Rylan. "Dispose of the brute, bring the kids, I will meet them there."

"Hai!" Li nodded and he spoke into a walkie talkie he had pinned on his shoulder.

Yang had helped Kojima back on his feet as she looked on at her handiwork. _What's done is done._ She thought, this'll all be over soon.

When the men in black came filing in to pick up the bodies... Joel's form began to stir.

_"Ellie..."_

* * *

**A/N- AND the stages are set, we are coming to perhaps the climax of the story... finally. Stay tuned for next time on The Last of Us III !**


	16. Of the Bitter Road

**THE  
****LAST  
****OF US  
III**

**A/N- I suck. It's been long over due for an update. Sorry guys but here it is.**

**And from the reviews last chapter, I notice that the results are slightly slanted. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it is welcomed because I believe there's always room for improvement with a story. Your patience is rewarded, and my gratitude to you all is eternal. Enjoy and Thank you :) **Notice that some dark implications will be implied here***

* * *

_**Chapter 16: Of The Bitter Road**_

Yang had helped Kojima back on his feet as she looked on at her handiwork. _What's done is done._ She thought, this'll all be over soon.

When the men in black came filing in to pick up the bodies... Joel's form began to stir.

_"Ellie..."_

_And through the darkness, a voice reached out to him, one dripping of venom. "I told you Joel..."_

_Pain shot through the old man's side like someone had stabbed him with broken piece of glass. His mouth tasted blood as his breathing intensified realizing where he was... his gaze fell on that of a Latina woman whose face was ripped to shreds with nails and shivs, disfiguring her corpse forever._

_His heartbeat rattled through his chest as Joel struggled to pull himself up, using the desk next to him for support. When his eyes reached above and across the wooden furniture, he met the gaze of someone with no eyes. There in front of him with a knowing smirk on his face, with his eyes dissolved outta his sockets from the bear mace and his head and face covered in blood stood..._

_"Devlin..." Joel rasped out, barely believing his eyes. "No way, th-this can't be r-real." His breathe hitched as the shard of glass cut into him whilst still inside him. "You can't be real!"_

_The shadow of his former enemy looked at him as if his own eyeballs were still present. "Of course I'm not real Joel. You murdered me, remember...?" His pitch in voice changed to that of annoyance. "You really don't know when to quit do ya, old man?"_

_Joel finished the response like their last conflict, but this time their lines were reversed. "I guess that's a quality we both share..." He coughed and flinched at his mental ghost pain. "...seein' as you're still here."_

_Devlin took a step forward and resumed his grin, getting ready to chuckle. "I warned you that 'this'll never stop' as long as there's people out there who want a cure, as long as Ellie is alive and running from her destiny."_

_"I don't wanna hear it." Joel simply ignored, avoiding the ex-commander's gaze._

_"That is A LOT of fighting for you, isn't it." He continued to rant. "Fight, and fight, and fight, it's all you've ever done huh? It's what your best at." Devlin took another step forward and leaned his build on the desk so his face was only a foot away from Joel's. "...Age catching up to you? You really think that little prick Rylan can fill your shoes in taking care of her?"_

_"I-?!"_

_The hallucination of Devlin suddenly puffed and turned to smoke, while immediately sending a loud whisper straight into Joel's eardrums. "I KNOW YOU DON'T!"_

_"YOU'RE SO AFRAID, AREN'T YOU, JOEL!?"_

_He was in his head now, his loud bullhorn-like voice echoing and reverberating within his skull, his doubts and fears bubbling to the surface.  
__"YOU'RE AFRAID OF LOSS!... AFRAID OF FACING YOUR SINS!... AFRAID THAT EVERTHING YOU'VE EVER DONE WON'T FUCKING MATTER!"_

_ "That ain't..." His heartbeat quicken with the flood of his most miserable memories. "I'm just tryin'..."_

"WHAT ABOUT TOMMY?! YOU COULDN'T SAVE HIM," His voice boomed and echoed though his guilt-ridden psyche. "YOU COULDN'T SAVE SARAH-!"

_"Shut up!" Joel instively banged his head against the desk in the effort to quiet the hauntings, or at least knock himself out again. "This isn't real!"_

_Commander Devlin then appeared back in front of him, his teeth gritted and his shoulders locked as he began playing with his butterfly knife. "Oh ho ho, everything you've done is VERY real, Joel... make no mistake about that."_

_"Please, just stop. Let me..." Joel bowed his head in something that could be considered as exhaustion, shame, maybe regret, or a combination of any of them. "Let me wake up... I know they're in trouble."_

_Devlin sent out one last laugh before disappearing for good. "You know better than anyone Joel," In slow fade back into the darkness, he ominously reminded the bearded old man. "...that you are not the hero of your own story."_

_... everything went black again._

* * *

...

Voices, Joel could hear voices.

They weren't in his language that was for damn sure. One of them, Japanese, yeah... had to be.

His body felt like a thousand pounds, and to add on to that, he could feel that his wrists and ankles were bound. His backpack and weapons were gone, it was just him and the clothes off his back. The old man peaked his pupils from behind his eyelids for the first time this morning. Wait, it was morning already? The only reason he could tell that it was light were the tiny specks that peaked through the burlap sack that covered his head.

Using his body for clues, Joel could feel that he was tied to something, a chair perhaps. He felt the cool breeze on his arms and hands, the wind coming at his front. The voices got even louder, listening that the two voices were only feet away from him now. Dare he make a move to reveal that he was conscious?

"OI!"

Too late. Joel thought.

Like someone was about to grip and rip his hair off, the burlap sack came off instead and Joel was momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden brightness that blinded his vision. He examined his surroundings, but he already knew he was alone: Ellie, Rylan, and Abe were gone. His only company here were two of Kojima's men looking down on him like he was a pig sleeping in the mud.

Their faces were covered with helmets and sunglasses, not that Joel really cared what they looked like. His two captors were both in same uniform looking... well the same. The only difference between the two was that one was tall and one was pretty short. The tall one broke the silence by speaking to his partner in Japanese and the latter went out of Joel vision for something.

It took another minute to realize that Joel was indeed tied to a chair, with his hands behind his back, in the middle of an unfinished floor of a building they were in. Construction tools and leftover building supplies lay about like the workers just dropped them and left. The walls were absent completely exposing all four sides to the outside, with only the support girders and beams keeping the top half of the structure from crashing down on them. But even in the distance, Joel could see the Bay outside as well as AT&amp;T stadium a few blocks from his location. They'd hadn't carried him far... but why didn't they just shoot him?

Joel croaked to the taller captor in front of him. "Eh buddy, you speak any English-!"

_*WHAM!* _The butt of the man's rifle cross-checked Joel's jaw hard enough so that his chair would topple backwards and he landed on his back, legs up, like a turtle falling on his shell.

"Ack...ow." The bearded man reeled as he tasted the real blood in his mouth with his tongue. "...simple enough question, shit..."

The shorter one of the guards returned with what looked like a special tool in his hands, specifically a small portable power saw. Joel eyed it warily, his breathed now hitched, wondering why he got that. He swore internally, cursing his situation. And then it really hit him.. the bearded man had then just deduced what had really happened to him.

He was drugged... could've been the food, or the water, but somehow he could only remember up to last night's toast to Terry's life.

Kojima was a liar, had Bill played them? Was this all just another elaborate trap to take Ellie's life for a cure?!

No... Joel had a feeling, there was something more, something different about this man and his men compared to Marlene and Commander Devlin. Why hadn't they captured them when they first arrived at the city? Joel could only deduce that this ambush on his friends was not 'immediately' pre-planned, it didn't make sense.

No matter what he thought though, he had to- _they_ had to get outta this city...

"OI!"

Joel groggily turned his head back up to face his captors. "What?" He simply responded.

_*RIEEEEEEEE*_

The shorter captor turned on the power saw with full force looking down at Joel with murderous intent! Joel exclaimed as he attempted to squirm and roll on his side. "What the hell?! No! no no no!" His heartbeat quickened as panic ensued and he was powerless to stop them. Why hadn't they just shot him in the head-?!

_*BANG!*_

Joel turned his head towards the stairs where the stranger's gunshot had come from, only to see that it was no stranger wielding the smoking gun, but hopefully an ally. Bill stood there looking stoic as he would usually be as the shorter captor, his face with a big hole in it, fell to the ground and dropped the saw which turned itself off due to its safety features and no one holding it.

The taller captor barely raised his rifle before Bill put another bullet in him as well, and he outwardly sighed as he placed sidearm away and pulled out his machete. He grumbled as he approached the bearded man. "I'm getting tired of saving your ass Joel."

Bill began cutting away Joel's restraints as the latter thanked. "No one told ya to save me."

"First the Fireflies, now Kojima? Do you just have a shitstorm follow ya around or did you manage ta-" Bill's eyes widened at his own realization. "It was those damn kids wasn't it?" He finally cut Joel free of his restraints. "Should have just let them back at Jackson, I mean really. ...I don't know what I was thinking bringin'em along and now-"

"Bill!" Joel finally stood up and motioned with his hand. "Just, shut it for once." He then bent down and grabbed one of the rifles on the ground and he looked back at his long-term business partner. "Where are the others?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders, avoiding the man's gaze. "Y'know I can't help but feel that all this was my fault." Bill then picked up the chair and set it upright, taking a seat in it and clutching his head in his hands. "Shouda known better, everybody is just getting crazier and crazier..." He spoke more to himself than to anyone else. "...I got so desperate, I-I let my eyes fool me and it was all FUCKING BULLSHIT AGAIN!"

The large man's voice boomed across the floor they were on. Joel let him have his moment to calm down. After a few more minutes of silence, the old man spoke up. "Do you know where they took them? I have to know Bill."

But Bill ignored his question and felt the guilt was over him. " 'Member Lance and Olivia? ...There's not a day that goes by that I don't remember them. They died, we lived. Why?"

"You know why." He responded simply.

"Yeah, I do. It's because they're weren't assholes. That's why... not like us. Even now- especially now Joel, assholes still rule the world. They just fuckin... take anything good and they..." His voiced trailed off as he stood up from the chair and began pacing back and forth in front of him. "I really thought this was the one Joel. But it ain't. Not for us anyway."

"Me too bud." Joel consoled and then was about to ask Bill again his same question, but Bill beat him to the punch this time.

"Right below the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point... one since the Civil War."

"Then we gotta get moving and save'em." Joel cocked his rifle to signal that he was ready. But then something odd occurred to him. "Hey Bill?"

"Yeah?"

He asked him. "How'd ya know that I was here?" He scrunched his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Because they wanted me to meet these guys here and to kill ya." Bill simply said nonchalantly. "Cut you up into little pieces to prove my loyalty or some shit. Y'know?"

Slightly speechless for a bit, Joel was going to say something, but decided to let it go. "Oh. Okay. Glad ya didn't, thanks."

"Yeah y'know that just ain't my style Joel..." Bill exasperated as he sheathed his machete again. "Let's go."

* * *

...

...

...

"It's time to wake up."

"Huh?"

Do you know what it's like?

...do you know what it's like to die?

Everything you've ever known... remember the pain, the cold...

"ELLIE!"

Rylan woke with a start as his eyes flew open and was immediately blinded by a white light. Overhead as if he was in an operating room, he slugged up his right hand and rested it lazily to shield his eyes from the light on his forehead. "Ugh... what happened?"

Where was he? The last thing he remembered was dinner with Kojima and the others. "Wait..." As his eyes adjusted, Rylan tried to recognize his surroundings. He was unrestrained, so he flopped off what felt like a slab of metal, turning back he recognized it as an operating table with the only light shining down on it in a dark enclosed room. "Oh no…"

"You're awake..." A familiar voice reverberated from across the room. Rylan spun around and recognized Yang across the table from him. "...You deserve an explanation."

"Explanation...? Yang! What's going on?!" The brunette stammered. "W-where are the others? Ellie? Joel?"

"They're..." She hesitated. "They're safe Rylan. Trust me. Doctor Kojima is taking good care of them. They will feel no pain."

"I remember the toast and then..." Rylan's eye widened. "Did your people drug us? Yang, please."

"We were afraid on how you'd react to the truth so." Yang coldly raised a syringe with a clear liquid in her hand. "I am making good on our agreement."

"Agreement?" His pitch heightened as his eyes fell on the needle. "I don't know what you're talking about. Get the hell away from me with that! You're keeping us prisoners!?"

"You're becoming hysterical Rylan. It'll be alright, the doctor will be in with you soon~" Yang made her way around the table slowly and methodically. "...after he is done with Ellie's abortion-!"

"ELLIE! Where is she?!" Rylan roared as he searched himself for weapons, only to come up empty handed. "Tell me, where is she?!"

She pointed behind him. "Turn around."

The brunette immediately spun on his heels to be met with an observation window down on a class-room like demonstration.

* * *

**A/N- The climax is coming soon. So stay tuned, and await the next chapter! Thanks again :)**


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